Day 153: Mon professeur, mentor et ami. (My Professor, Mentor and Friend)

(Campbell, January 2010) 

Yesterday, after spending time with Xochi I was able to meet with my former professor in advertising, George Coakley. 

It is always inspiring to sit down with Professor Coakley. The life he has lead and is leading keeps me motivated to pursue my dreams and aspirations. He started his own advertising firm with less than $1,000 in his pocket and a family to feed and from there he had three offices in California. His company is the oldest advertising firm in San Jose and although he has retired from the profession, his passion is very much alive. He continues to practice advertising by teaching and doing consulting work. 

We met at Starbucks and we discussed our current projects and what we were planning for the new year. I was able to ask his advice on several issues and share my photography with him. I brought my Hasselblad with me to photograph him and as he was looking over the camera, I caught this great smile. 

It's very important to have mentors in your life because they have gone through many life experiences and asking for their input or advice is extremely valuable. I was fortunate to have met George who is not only my mentor, but my friend. 

Day 152: Au-dessus d'une tasse de café (Over A Cup of Coffee)

(San Jose, January 2010)

I went back to San Jose this weekend and I was able to catch up a with a few friends. I spent the morning with one of my best friends Xochi.

We spent the morning in the Willow Glen neighborhood with sandwiches at Le Boulanger, a sandwich cafe we frequently ate at when we were taking some classes together. Afterwards, we went to Monsier Beans, which I had gone to a few weeks before and thought it would be a perfect place to take pictures with the huge windows, collection of chairs, tables and couches and warm interior.  As Xochi sat by the window, which provided great lighting, I took some pictures of her with the Hasselblad then the digital camera.

Xochi has always been a huge supporter of my photography. She'd wait patiently as we I would constantly stop and take pictures whenever we'd spend time together, even if I had to take a picture of our server while we're enjoying our brunch. She's joined me on various photography outings and has even allowed me to photograph her for various assignments.

With friends like her, I have been able to continue my photography and am grateful for them all.

Day 148: Golden Day (Nous Allons Sortir- We Will Get Through This)

(Huntington Beach, January 2010) 

Today I celebrated my birthday by taking the day off from work and do a variety of things such as read, write and of course photography.

It started raining mid day and I haven't had a chance to use the Hasselblad during the rain so I went to the beach at sunset and I walked down by the pier. 

The sun was fighting through the rain clouds and the lighting at that moment highlighted the area beautifully. I took my time with composing each shot despite the rapid setting sun and I was able to do one roll of colored film.

I took this shot with the iPhone at the end of my roll and I am looking forward to seeing what the film had captured.

It has been an amazing week with being able to celebrate my birthday with various friends and my family. I have been blessed to have positive people in my life who inspire me each day. I am grateful for all your support through the highs and lows, thank you for a wonderful birthday and I look forward to many more with you all.

Day 142: L'intermédiaire (The In Between)

(Huntington Beach, January 2010) 

California has been hit with a series of storms in the past few days that have resulted in floods, landslides and power outages. I have seen storms like these living in San Jose, but this is the first time I'm experiencing weather like this in Orange County.

After work I decided to take a detour and head to the beach to see the waves and how the storm was hitting the shores of California. When I got there, I was surprised to see there were a few dozen people there doing the same thing.

I parked by the pier and sat in my car to watch the waves crash over and over again for a while then I pulled out my 35mm SLR and stepped outside. The winds were extremely strong and the rain was coming down sideways. It was cold, but it felt exhilarating to stand by the shore and experience nature. The air was salty and I could taste the sea.

I took this picture with my iPhone just as there was a break in the rain. I am looking forward to seeing what I captured on film. I plan on going back today, better equipped with my all weather jacket and shoes to get down to the pier and watch the waves come in.

Day 137: Probability

(Balboa, January 2010) 

One of my favorite piers in Orange County and I got to share it with one of my favorite people.

Day 127: Portrait

(Balboa, January 2010) 

Day 123: Goals Not Resolutions

(Balboa, January 2010) 

What a great day New Years day has been. This morning Aron and I went to the city of Laguna and took a hike per recommendation of my roommate. There was no fog, the temperature was in the 70's and the clouds were beautiful.

After about more than a month of not doing any cardio activity, the hike was slightly challenging for me with the drastic incline, but it only reminded me that I need to get going on my training with another half marathon right around the corner!

The view at the top was worth the slight struggle. The clouds painted across the blue skies in various strokes and horizon was extremely clear. I took some pictures with the Hasselblad and will be posting them when I develop them.

Going up there allowed me time to reflect and take in everything. When standing so high above and seeing everything, you realize how small you are and how you really are just one grain of sand in this world and it humbles you. I thought about the past year and all that has happened and all that I have gone through. There were low moments, but then there were really high moments. This was a year of great life lessons that I will always remember. I learned that once you have hit the bottom, all you can do is swim back up.

One of the biggest accomplishments from this year was being able to fully pursue photography by making time to take classes and dedicate myself to it. It has always been a part of my life, but now I have been able to learn it, appreciate it even more and work on it.

Due to photography, I have been able to meet wonderful people who have helped me along my path in photography as well as life.

2009 was a tough year for a lot of people I know, but we are very positive about 2010. I am looking forward to all that this year will have in store.

I don't generally make resolutions because they seem more like wishes to me. I like to set a few goals for the year. This will allow me to create the path to reach the goals and I will be able to measure the success of it by whether or not I had reached that goal. Sometimes the goals will take longer than one year to attain and every year I can reflect and see what else I can do to reach the goal. Other goals can be done in less than a year or even a month. Whether they be long term goals or short term, goals have always worked for me.

I haven't made time to really think about what I want to accomplish this year, but now I will and when I do, I'll be back to let you know.

What are your goals?