tomato. tomaaahto.
March 12, 2010
I’ve always wanted to be different. If someone had it, I didn’t want it. You say tomato I say tomaaahto. It wasn’t a rebellious kind of different where young girls wore red stripped stockings, dyed their hair black and pounded on the eyeliner. It’s that I made a promise to myself when I was young, that I would never let myself become a mindless robot who bought everything I saw or wore tons of makeup to fit in with every other girl who did so. I always told my mom that I was a mistake because I was suppose to be a boy, haha. I never saw the point of spending my money on make up when I could be spending it on extra dance classes or a necklace I’ll forever remember. I never wanted to go and get my nails done or take hours straightening my hair, I couldn’t handle the pain. It just wasn’t my thing, I wasn’t a tomboy but I wasn’t a girly girl either. I grew up with this mentality my whole life and I came to realize I was doing it all wrong. Instead of always trying to be different, I should have been trying to be ME. I’m glad I realized this in the beginning of high school so I wasn’t sucked into high school and all its ‘glory’. I wanted to find myself and become someone who I created, not someone the media or society created. And that’s exactly what I did…I love the person who I have become today and I would never regret nor change the journey that I’ve been through in order to create this person. I hope that you don’t choose to be the same nor different as everybody else, I hope that you chose to be you and stay true to yourself because in the end all that’s left is who you truly are.
Everyone has been patiently waiting and here is what’s yet to come :)
Check back here for Aldo’s full post and thank you for reading. :)
home sweet home?
March 8, 2010
“One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.” -Socrates
Ahh. This one. Socrates never failes to amaze me. There are days where I think that I have life all figured out (well that’s what I tell myself) and then there are days where I am lost and confused and I feel the need to reread Sophie’s World so I can be found again. Crazy amazing book. Besides the fact that philosophy revives me, I feel this blog hasn’t got the attention it deserves. I promise to make this place more like home… my home. You see my photography, but I want you to also see me. There is so much in my heart that I want to show the world and I feel like I want to do everything now now now! but I know I must be patient. I must also realize that just because I make a place my home, does not mean I’m comfortable to think I know everything. Everything I say and do here, comes from my heart so I apologize for anything you disagree with. Whenever I do come to realize what I have learned, I will always remember that the one thing I do know, is that I know nothing. Because if I knew it all, life would have no purpose.
Is this photo even relative? Absolutely not.
But everytime I look at it I can feel the happiness fly right out of the picture.
I’m cool like that.
piña colada girl.
March 5, 2010
Meet Shir, also known as piña colada girl.
Story time.
This is my best friend, my other half, the one person who knows how I’m feeling by just looking at my face. The one person who I can sit in an empty room with and we’d still have the best time, the person who… okay well you get the idea :) A few years ago when wild rivers was the ‘cool’ place to be during the summer, me and Shir went A LOT. One of the best things at wild rivers (besides dippin’ dots) was their piña coladas. We decided to get one and the boy who worked there looked at Shir like she was a goddess, I mean it was like love at first sight for that boy. Sure I was happy for her that this boy couldn’t stop staring but I just wanted my piña colada. Not only did I get it, we got it for FREE! I was so happy. I told Shir to go make boys fall in love with her at the dippin’ dots stand and the food bar so we could have some free dinner and dessert but I guess she didn’t think I was serious. When we went back to our spot she kept wondering, just like any other girl… ‘why does he think I’m cute? what could he possibly see in me?’ I wanted her to go back and talk to him but she kept saying there was no point, she would never see him again. So…I did what every best friend would do. I poured the entire piña colada on her and made her go get me another one. mwahaha. When we went over there, piña colada boy seemed beyond happy to see Shir again and he kept telling her how pretty she was. All I heard was blah blah blah pretty blah blah so cute blah blah blah. The one thing that truly stood out from his rambling was…’you’re so exotic looking.’ I personally thought it was the best compliment he could give her because it fits her perfectly. She’s so uniquely beautiful, unlike any other. She never saw piña colada boy ever again, but the compliment definitely stuck. I love my exotic looking best friend and i LOVE these photos.
I fell in love with these shoes.
to see more photos of Shir click here!
Dear New Zealand…
February 28, 2010
I’ve had it up to HERE with you.
Big changes are coming to NZ PHOTOGRAPHY, and i mean BIG. Okay maybe just a slight change but still, it’s all your fault. I’m quite angry we have the same initials and that every time I try to get a new URL…. YOU have it! Or every time someone types in ‘nz photography’ into Google… who do you think pops up? Yes, you. I would suggest going ahead and changing your name but I can see how that would be a little difficult so you won this time. No worries, my name is better than yours anyways.
Yours,
Natalie.
Here’s a little preview of what’s yet to come! :)
(art) 2.22
February 22, 2010
PJ Fatanat
“There is nothing I love more than being resourceful. Here is a simple necklace tutorial made out of thrifted finds. It is very fun and perfect for a little added funky flair. You can make it with any color scheme by changing out the beads, and fabric. The items you will need: Strips of fabric, beads, yarn or string, and shower curtain rings.“
Manny Morales
This one is in JPG Magazine, Photographer Magazine and is also on display at Baudoin Lebon Galerie (Paris, France).
Kareem Abulaban
unexpected
February 16, 2010
Remember that giveaway? Well here it is :) I took extra time to edit these pictures because I spent countless hours getting to know my style. And it’s safe to say that I haven’t met my style yet. Photographers constantly change their brand and style and I love to know that I’m still searching for mine because I know I’m still growing, I know that I still have a lot to learn and a lot to look forward to. I know, that I can still keep you guessing and I absolutely love that. I love surprising my readers and I love when my photography is different from what they expected, because photography to me is so unexpected.
Meet Roxi and Adam. They love each other for who they are, and it shows. They have this genuine connection between them and they seem like true best friends, the kind of best friends that can laugh at anything and have things between them that no one else could ever understand. I love meeting couples that complete each other, not one more equal than the other, just two pieces needed to complete the puzzle.
I know each picture is really different but I felt like giving each one its own personality and not sticking to the usual blog-like pictures. Ready set go.
(art) 2.15
February 15, 2010
It’s Monday! And here’s this week’s art by other artists. Enjoy.
Shana Mandel
Manny Morales
“So about this design. Basically this design represents the “energy” and flow of power I put into my everyday tasks and project. Read from left to right you see that I start with lots of energy and that fades out with time. Read from right to left you see how my basic projects flow. As the project starts and concepts are developed low energy is put into, once the concept is discovered and ready for development then boom I put lots of energy into it.”
so let go, jump in.
February 11, 2010
A good friend and I were having dinner the other night and we were talking about her passions and interests. I’ve known her my whole life and we both have danced together since we were six years old. She is an incredible dancer and when I look at her, I see exactly that. I feel she should be on the dance floor at all times. Okay well life won’t let that happen but I still believe we have the power to make things happen.
She was telling me how she felt she doesn’t have any interests and has no idea what she’s into. She’s telling me about how she would go to dance class and all the other girls can count their steps and know what things were called and how she felt she was a bad dancer. I looked at her like she was straight crazy and explained to her that she simply has lost her way. No one knows her like she knows herself but at times we lose ourselves and get consumed in other things to find that we are not on the same path we were on. She was babbling about how she didn’t actually know how to dance. That’s when I wanted to slap her but refrained because we were in public. I told her,
Listen, a good dancer dances with their feet. A great dancer dances with their heart.
It isn’t about what you think you know or how everyone else does it. It’s about how you feel when you’re doing it. When you lose yourself by doing what you love, not when you lose yourself by not doing it at all.
It breaks my heart when people think they can’t do something. We’re stuck between living in the moment and worrying heavily about the future. We don’t know which to chase after, our dream or that high paying job. Honestly, I don’t know the answer because I’m not living your life, but I do know that you shouldn’t be chasing your dream, you should be making it happen. Easier said than done, I know but life is way too short.
I felt today was a good day to write because I’ve been thinking about what I want most out of life and I realized that my dream is to be happy in whatever I choose to do, because happiness doesn’t have to come from only one thing.
Remember tomorrow is Artists Anonymous and you can submit your art work so it can be featured here. :)
(art) 2.8
February 8, 2010
It’s Monday! And here are some art to satisfy your cravings. Enjoy, because these artists are amazing.
PJ Fatanat
Kareem Abulaban
Maya Bollinger
Shane Miller
Shana Mandel
Artists Anonymous
February 6, 2010
Addicted to art? Welcome to the club. I’ve decided that I want more art on this blog, more art from other people than just mine. Why? Because mama taught me how to share when i was young :) Besides my sharing abilities, I want your art to be featured HERE! So other people can see your creativity and you can feel great about getting your art out there. Every friday you will be able to submit your art work to natalie@nzphotographyoc.com and your art will be shown here the following monday.
There is no limit to what kind of art you submit. It can be on canvas, on paper, jewelery, clothing, photography, anything. So free your mind and let your art speak for you. I can’t wait to see what kind of art will be going on around here. Any art submitted on here will be eligible for purchase and the profit goes straight to the artist.
