I find myself scouring my photo archives for images I know I've gotten but have no clue what year, camera, or occasion they might be from. I spend hours flipping through folders, reminiscing and discovering goldie oldies that I can embarrass friends with by posting them on facebook pages. I'm currently in the middle of hunting for old photos of not a human but a dog, Denali, who recently passed away and was the main focus of a Winter Solstice celebration (photos below). I know I've seen this animal off and on for years, clicked at it here and there, but have pretty much no clue when and where.

Sometimes my long hours of photo searching jumps a level and turns into google research on different organization schemes or ideas to make the hunt simpler. For instance, life would be so much better if facial recognition software was available that could search through my image database, tag, and pull images back that belonged to whomever. It turns out that apple's iPhoto has already thought of this and integrated something like it into their services. I've looked and looked for the competitor's response but nothing yet (although someone on chimed in the comments for a youtube video that F-stop for the GNOME desktop might have it in the works.) However, however, the iPhoto Faces program has been out for about a year and there's not much talk about other programs bringing it in. I guess it's time to learn how to run mac programs on a PC. I never thought I'd say that! Anyway, enjoy a couple photos from our Winter Solstice celebration:

Labels: Camping, Events, Photos

Ninety photos in the set above. I'm either getting lazier or giving into the demands of others. My editing has gone to shit. People want more, more more. The vote is in and the decree is quantity over quality, although I'm a firm believer in the power of cutting down. Eliminating the zillions of blurry photos, or uninspired ones, or dismal failures full of boredom, or disgustingly biased and unrepresentative photos (yes it's true!) allows me to look better than I am. It certainly allows me to look better than others who post every single one of their "artistic masterpieces" - blurries, blackies, whities and all. But I should probably cut down to 50 like I was before. Next time I'll bring you all LESS, LESS, LESS!!!

So, I missed out on all of the truly cool, excellent events and opted for sleep instead. The main DJ act was The Spacemen (were The Spacemen?), who are supposedly humans who dress like freakish alien gargoylic aliens and wave their tendrilled fingers around like mad, to the beat, and appear very "alien." You'll not see any photographs of them from me! I also missed the main fire event up at the Wanderlust area, opting for sleep instead, oh those lovely z's. There was, assuming I can trust those who made me jealous, fire jumproping... as well as spinning and burning and dancing and flailing about. Cowboys and Indians made an entrance. And there was talk of finding teeny-bopper raverlettes and combining them with an equestrian for fun and perhaps profit. My main contribution was waking up the next morning, wandering around with a bag filled with colorful and lacy fabric, and enlisting some help in order to throw the said fabric over Clayton's geodesic dome. It was pretty. And sweet. And bitter. Sweet.

It is now time for resolutions. I've committed to resting the entire week so that I can pound my body into the ground and never stop shooting and shouting this weekend for e11. I'm hot and bothered and hopping mad at my laziness (but also happy). In vengeance, I'm gonna go crazy psycho machine pumping greased up steamy mad!

Labels: Camping, Photos, Raves

Labels: Camping, Events, Photos

This set has been like, published, and can be ordered as a cute little book from Blurb. Click!

From the photos it might not be apparent that this river trip was not just an everyday occasion. It wasn't like all the others! This one was unique! (Yes yes, I know that we are always heroes in the center of our own universe, and we feel that our own experiences are more fulfilling, rich, and poignant than others, but there's something almost Disneyland-like about the "river trip" that I don't love, they seem somewhat formulaic in spirit and the photographs almost always look the same).

But anyway, beneath our river uniforms - the anonymizing elements of life vests, helmets, and sharp sunlight on a one way track - it was a reunion of friends who had not seen each other for years. Some had not done the trip for ten years, others had done it every year for the past twelve. It was a group of 26 quite amazing people who met for relaxation, adventure, conversation, and a common enthrallment of and in powerful forces of nature. The smoothness and calm of the river can easily become a violent, life-sucking force. It's a metaphor for the fragility of our relatively calm planet hurtling through mostly empty space. One small thing goes wrong and it's all over. So, we slid through a groove in the rocks that had been set down from the Oligocene and popped out even longer ago, the late Cretaceous. It was relaxed yet rigorous, sacred and profane.

For further information, I'll refer to Jas's page on the trip.

Brandon, a rafter/photographer on the trip, also has pics: click!

Labels: Camping, Photos

Labels: Camping, Events, Photos

I just got back from an amazing trip to Havasupai. Does it get annoying, dear reader that everything is so goopy and "amazing" all the time? I mean, I guess that since the gothic online journals of depression and tears have gone out of style there isn't as much moping. Ya gotta contribute positively to the global conversation now-a-days. But still, things shouldn't be all popcorn pink glee-fests. So hmm. What was awful? I get cold too easily. I was a wuss and didn't jump off the waterfalls. We had to wait a whole day to go to the sweat lodge. I got in some fights, verbal ones. I wish I was better at card games. But wow. Those were hard to think of. I made lots of friends and had fun conversations and the car ride rocked! AugH! I'm getting caught in the positive frame of mind again! Goodbye. I'm going off to mope!

Labels: Camping, Photos

The yearly Been A While party was portly people grabber; a ZILLION attended. Well, at least more than 100. Me and Jen decorated an area with glowy orbs (we actually poured glowstick juice inside bottles and hung them from the trees) and brought a huge chill blanket thing for people to hang out on (only 2/3rds of the way done which means it is 15 feet x 10 feet so far). There was a large bonfire the whole night, cops came and didn't do much (I think they were more scared of us than we were of them) AND I got punched twice! Yee-haw. I was too drunk to take many decent pics, but nevertheless, a few may be worthwhile for memory-obelia, below:

Labels: Camping, Photos

These shots are actually from a little over a month ago. I went on a trip with my school's photography department to Havasupai. I am not a LOVER of outdoor photography (too much light! I can't handle it), so I wasn't all that happy with them. But, some people have been bugging me, so here they are. The trip was a blast, and Havasupi is gorgeoes, naturally (ooh, a double meaning :).

One of the most fascinating things to observe were how quickly the colors shifted. When we arrived, the water and the waterfalls were the color that Havasupai is famous for - milky aqua. It stayed that color for most of the trip. However, there was a lot of rain on the 3rd day and the water turned a deep green. We then watched the water rise and turn thick, dark, and brown, and hiked out with muddy waterfalls and foamy water.

Labels: Camping, Photos

I just got back from a very relaxing weekend near (and on) the Green River in southern Utah. It's definitely hard to think the experience could be surpassed. I only wish my photographs could give it any justice. A big thank you to SLC's AMO tribe.

Labels: Burn, Camping, Photos

Maple Canyon with the Utah Valley kids! They are a great bunch. Even while sleeping! The pictures are from day two of this camping trip. The night before entailed two kegs, a blood-red blue moon and intense clouds, crazy rednecks, and one of them getting beaten unconscious with a rock (after once by hand). Sadly, I missed those photo opportunities in light of my own beweilderment. And Kendra!

But anyway, the second day hike was amazing. We climbed a little dry waterfall and when about half of us were up it the heavens just started coming down in the form of hail. Thoughts of flash floods of slushy crystals that would pick you up and slam you into a bubbling end were on our minds; hypothermia and axphyxiation would arm wrestle for the right to take us through the transition. Or maybe not. My sister Rachel may have found an personal entryway with her head, which was flowing hot and red after an encounter with a rock. Pictures are here!

Labels: Camping, Photos

I've had a very tough time going to outdoor electronic events because I have some serious wrestles with the way that more is often not merrier to the environment. Here's a picture of the remnants from last event that I went to. I was the last to leave and that was what I couldn't fit into the my car, so there it sat, rotten meat completely infested with maggots and flies to boot. I also noticed people pouring oil and grease right into the dirt, they needed a griddle to make pancakes, but couldn't bear the responsibility to pack any side effects out.

This all disgusts me, and somehow I feel a little better if I don't partake, even though I know it occurs. I ended up at this one though, and had some conversations with people that completely baffled me with their naivet'e... or perhaps, pretention? That these people would claim to know the 'right way to camp', and then proceed to trample over the delicate environment, leaves my mouth hanging wide open still. I don't know what is better, to not go and pretend these outdoor environmental catastrophies don't happen, or to attend and get in endless arguments with people, hoping that maybe a few will realize and actually give a shit. I didn't stay until the end of this one, but I'm sure there was a pile of trash that can ably compete with the previous picture. I hope I'm wrong. Here are pictures from the party, as well as hike down Little Wildhorse Canyon:

Labels: Camping, Photos, Raves

Pop a bit of chocolate and fall back to sleep. Your dreams will be better; more vibrant and memorable. Emotion is the only thing that retains memory, so the wrenching anguish of hate, or the pulsating palpations of love must fill your life or you won't have anything to dwell on later. Exception is the only thing that has none, which makes it exceedingly exceptional. The exception of black is white? No. Black is the unknown, the abyss, the void. White is the light, the true, the virtuous and the pure. What exceptions does this prejaduce hold? Physics has the answer, and thus the pale become ridiculed, subjugated and enslaved. What color makes a photon recoil? Read slowly, read quickly. Or if you don't like the options given, you can always look at pretty photographs. A recent trip to 9 mile canyon will allow words to plague you no more.

Labels: Camping, Photos

Augh, I can't believe it. I accidentally deleted this entry and there is nothing left. Good thing I did too, because it was a complete waste of time to read. I have saved you much time. Here are the pictures that I talked about. Beep! Pictures from a trip to Escalante. It was a bit ago.. I don't remember.

Labels: Camping, Photos

I've been going caving every weekend for a little over a month now, but I've been reluctant to bring my camera in, mainly because I haven't had anything to really bring it in with me efficiently (ie, to allow me to manuever about with the camera), and also because it is scared of the dark . I finally got a fanny pack and gave it a go last sunday at Bloomington cave, outside St. George. This place is so insane and filled with unexplored territory. Both trips we have been in the cave for about four hours and nothing ever seems to stop. Must return! I also decided to start resizing at 800 x 600, so the images are LARGER than ever before!

Labels: Camping, Photos

I really think it would be a great idea for someone to do the arranged-marriage-princess-falls-in love-with-awesome-guy-but-has-to-marry-terrible-one story in reverse. Like, what if the guy that she is arranged to marry is really this amazing person that is completely in love with her, but she would rather be with some asshole that doesn't care about her at all and just wants sex, instead of the inept love-struck groom who the whole audience can find something in common with. It would be a little more realistic, because nobody wants what is good for them, and everyone knows that story. It's just never been done.

I was at the rainbow gathering in the High Uintas last weekend, and although I was having too much fun to take many photos, I got a few in, and so here they are.

Labels: Camping, Events

Been gone from work for so long that I almost forgot about it. Now I'm back and I'm not sure what to do. Do they need to re-train me? I'm sitting here and I forgot how computers work! I have become uncivilized. I can't communicate with humans any longer. People greet me and I'm not sure what to do. Maybe if I sit here and pretend long enough, they will let me leave. Oh wait, that's what I've been doing for years. I remember now. Wow, thank goodness. I'm back to the reality of reality. Too bad I don't work in home sales, or else I could have said, 'Now I'm back to the reality of realty, and I would have felt clever. Maybe it's time for a career change, but nay I say, I love this place, and especially the periods of rest and relaxation between it. To get a glimpse of my recent 10 day vagrancy, check out this turquoise link for sights of the Green river, or more specifically, Desolation Canyon.

Labels: Camping, Photos