quick update

Just a quick bit of news from here at the Herm.  We have had the opportunity the last couple days to host some of the CAL Fire units who have been hard at work fighting the Martin Fire just a few miles from here.  I’ve got a couple shots up on Flickr (link here) from when the arrived yesterday evening.  It’s nice to know that we have been able to help them out in this way.

hope

I’ve been playing around with taking short video clips at Vintage the last couple weeks and this is the latest iteration.  I was talking with one of the graphics guys here at Mount Hermon this week and he mentioned the term “long portrait” when talking about short video clips like this. That is a good way to think about these. Matt and I have both taken quite a few pictures of the “HOPE” sign but this one has sound and flickering candles. It’s just one more way we can help document what a service is like. Maybe we can start having a virtual service in Second Life for people who want a virtual experience?

Anyway, much as I’d like to keep playing around with this video editing sucks and my little point and shoot is not really a long term solution. Since I don’t have much use for a video camera at this point beyond 30 second clips here on flickr, it doesn’t make much sense for me to pick up yet another expensive hobby. Seriously, why can’t I get into paper mache?.  So we shall see where this will go.

Vintage 115

As I’ve mentioned in the past, most of the photos I take during the service at Vintage are off limits, but since there aren’t any faces in some of the ones I took today I put them up on my Flickr too. This is a pretty good sample of what I do most weeks at Vintage. It’s a lot of moving around trying to find new and interesting perspectives each week. The lighting is always an adventure as in the morning it is often very harsh and bright light coming in through the stained glass windows while in the evening it almost feels like a cave some times. Usually I end up with a good batch of shots though, so I can’t really complain. Sometime I’ll write a post about my thoughts on taking pictures during a service and where I draw the line between when to shoot and when to just sit back and participate. Not right now though, cause it’s 1am and I’m tired.

j+l

PhotoWalk12
Originally uploaded by Jonathan Assink

I know I said that I was going to be posting photos from the concerts after church at Vintage but I really don’t have any exciting on interesting shots, so here’s one from the photo walk we did yesterday instead. Not sure who “J” or “L” are but their tag made for a cool shot. I took several from different angles but this is the one I liked the most. This was on a bench at the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf.

dangerous information

After I got off work tonight I went down to Santa Cruz with Brandon.  To hit up one of the local bike shops in my search for a new bike.  I actually got a lot of great tips from people at Spokesman Bicycles that firmed up in my mind what it is I want in a bike.  I feel a little bad though because I will probably be going over the hill to take advantage of the 20% member discount I have during this month.  If it weren’t for that discount, I would definitely buy from one of the local shops.

After we walked around Spokesman for a while (I did buy a helmet so I didn’t leave empty handed) we headed back to the car and I had every intention of leaving.  Brandon insisted we couldn’t leave 45 minutes on the meter so we headed off down the street to find a coffee shop that is apparently the favorite of people who like to be different as a crowd.  We kept walking down the street and happened across MetaMusic Records.   MetaMusic is the kind of record store I’ve wanted to find since I got down here.  I’m sure any real local thinks I’m an idiot for taking this long to find it but, well, I now know and I’m sure I’ll be going back sooner rather than later.  Anyway, MetaMusic is one of those rare stores that actually caries new vinyl.  And not just unopened records from decades past, but new releases.  So I picked up a couple by two of the groups I’ve really come to like in the last six months.

I really like listening to records.  I can’t claim the audiophile ear that actually hears a real noticeable difference versus CD or digital format, but it is definitely more of an experiential exercise in listening to music.  Listening to a record is the only time that I will put on music, and then just sit there with my eyes closed and listen.  I also really like playing records when I have people over or I’m cooking.  I was playing my Taj Mahal blues record last night while we were BBQ’ing for St. Patrick’s and it made for a great backdrop.  Anyway, Coffee Cat is about to close up shop so I’m going to head home.  Later!

Nope, it’s still home. . .

So for the last couple of weeks there has been a part of me afraid that I would land in Seattle and suddenly realize this is no longer my home.  Well, I have been on the ground here for about two hours and I can tell you this is most definitely still home.  The whole way home I was smilling while looking out the window as the city went by.  We came up from the airport via hwy 99 and when the whole city opens itself up to you at night it is just about one of the most beautiful sights in the world.  The redwoods of Mount Hermon and the dramatic beaches of Santa Cruz are great, but no place is quite like my home.  This is my home and I’m looking forward to spending the next week back in civilization!

Thoughts from Today

So the traffic camera post is actually from a few days ago, it just got lost in the aether of the interwebs.  Fortunately, I rescued it from the draft bin before it faced the horrible fate of irrelevancy.  Anyway, I just wanted to share two experiences I had today in the brief period I spent at a custom frame shop in Capitola.  First of all, custom framing of a print that is 20″x30″ is ridiculously expensive.  How expensive?  Try $200 for the cheap option!  That lesson learned, I was then faced with the next perplexing dilemma.  Why would a man, not in drag, wear stiletto heels?  This question, I can find no answer for.  If you can think of anything. . . let me know.

It takes all types

Had my first Santa Cruz Halloween experience tonight. Definitely an interesting event! Head over to flickr to check out my latest shots.

Gaining Steam. . .

Just found a website that posted one of my pics a few weeks ago. You can find them here. It’s fun to see my stuff getting featured more and more!