The End is Coming...School, not the World.

So it's been a while since I've actually updated about school life and how things are going for me. And quite honestly, I couldn't be more thrilled! At the start it was a little hard to find my place and to get in the flow and get over personal hurdles I needed to. But here I am and I am absolutely loving it and feeling blessed that God has brought me so incredibly far. Looking back over this last year seriously just floors me. I'm so encouraged.

School has been terrific. I can see why people have said Portfolio Center is the best part of their life. It's not just that I'm getting valuable training here for my future, but I'm meeting some amazing people and making great friendships...even with teachers...that I know will last forever after these two years here in the program. I'm really enjoying the challenges and obstacles certain assignments create. I'm doing my best to rise to the challenge too. For one class one assignment (which I have yet to shoot) is "motion." We basically have to capture motion in our shot. A lot of the students in the class seem to just be turning in this abstract-looking photographs. And thats really fine and their stuff looks great, but really all that's going on is they are opening their shutter speeds for a long exposure and shaking their camera in the process to get a blurry photo. And the stuff looks cool, but Im just not that abstract kind of person. So I've been coming up with an idea for mine to try and have a story. So this weekend I'll be shooting my friend Eric at the train station and I'm hoping that he will be in focus while people walking around him and on/off the train will be blurry. And I'll have him listening to an iPod or something. My other shoot went really well! We were assigned a year and told to shoot a subject with natural window light. I got 1945 and chose to shoot a WWII widow. Here is the final result...

I really love this shot idea too. I got all of these props from online and shot it at my apartment. Unfortunately I have to reshoot because I'm an idiot and didn't pay attention to certain detail, but my professor really loved my concept and idea and composition. So I'm looking forward to nailing it even more at the reshoot in a week or so. For one of my other classes we had an assignment called "Fruit" and we are to make fruit be something else. I chose to do bowling...

I made the bowling alley out of graham crackers, the bowling pins are summer squash and then I used a watermelon as the bowling ball. My professor for this class really loved my concept and idea too. A lot of the other students had really awesome ideas for theirs too. One student had radishes cut and painted to look like sperm and then a tangerine as an egg hahaha. It looks awesome!

Critique week is kinda like finals week and it is coming very fast. We're pretty much done with this quarter. Once we come back from Thanksgiving that week is called Studio Week where we finalize all of our projects and make sure everything is perfect and then that following week is Critique Week where you are assigned a time and you go in a room in front of a panel of outside professionals in the industry and they judge your work, or "Deliverables" that you present to be judged/critiqued. Sounds intense, I know haha. Of the four classes I have, I have 16 total Deliverables to present. 12 of which are different photo assignments and the other 4 are writing assignments from my writing class. Of the 16, I have roughly 3 of them completed and ready to print. A lot of the other work for the other deliverables is shot and stuff, it's just a matter of tweaking and adjusting to perfection. So crunch time is upon me.

I met with the head instructor for the writing dept. this morning just to dicuss my future goals regarding my magazine and my long-term dreams and vision I have. He was really amazingly supportive and encouraging about it and had a lot of great advice. It's something that blows my mind getting used to the fact that all of the instructors here are really here for us at any time of the day and they seriously bend over backwards to help us out. He was basically telling me they may have to create a separate curriculum for me because they have never had a Portfolio Center student want to do something that I want to do. Which is really cool to hear, but at the same time a little nervous knowing I'll be a guinea pig in a lot of ways. But I'm very open-minded about it and looking forward to what these next quarters have to offer. I have a feeling these two years here is going to fly by! Continue to keep me in your prayers as I know you will be. 1 Quarter just about over and 7 more to go haha.

I'm really looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving in two weeks! I'm taking an Amtrak train home because it's actually cheaper than driving. So that should be fun. I can't wait to see my family and my niece and nephews! I freakin' love my family and the holidays! This year will be a little bittersweet because my sister Rachel will be leaving us at the New Year to be a missionary for two years and we won't really see her until she returns. Weird feeling. I'm so proud of her though. It's weird to think that when she returns, I'll be done with school and working Lord knows where! Awesome! The Hamptons are taking over! Hahaha. But I'm very much looking forward to the holiday season and recharging my batteries. I really want to find work or something over the break to make a little cash. Hey I can always "wrap" presents at the mall haha. Luckily wedding season is upon me. The first one in January. I have about 12 weddings in 2009 so far and I'm very blessed that is going so well. If you guys havent checked out my site, www.redbulbphotography.com please do so. I keep some other grad school shots on there also.

For now I think thats about all the update that I have. Keep me posted on how all of you are doing and I look forward to seeing you all soon! God Bless and thanks so much for your continued prayer and support!

More to come...

A New Dawn: Where is My America?

Well the election is over. That fact is the only thing I was praising. Somehow I had no doubt that the people in this country are a big bunch of idiots. It was just proven more accurate when they elected Osama Obama as our 44th President. And yes, I'll say that I think it's awesome to witness this historic event of our first Black president. (Don't any of you dare correct me and say "African-American" or I'll start making you refer to us crackers and whiteys as "Caucasian Americans"). I think it's so cool to see how far we've come as a collective race of people. So I do applaud this new dawn for only that reason. But that is only so cool for a while. It's just like saying, "Oh look, a rainbow!" and so you pull over to look at it but eventually you have to keep driving and get back to the real world. That's what this "race card" election is to me. One big amazing rainbow. Now let's hope that rainbow has got a mother load of good solutions.

I can't help but think that I'm scared. This whole election race has irritated the crap out of me. First of all, if I hear one more person speak about "change," I'm going to hit them in the face. I'm also sick of all of the Obama supporters with their "Yes, we can!!!" Well friends you very well could've been ALREADY. It's called respecting your country and leader and doing your part to support. What exactly "can" "we" do? I'm waiting for the first person to enlighten me on this. I'll get to my opinion of what we all can do in a moment. Right now I'm just venting before the air gets sucked from the sky and the world blows up. Black people say they aren't voting for Obama just because he is black. I apologize for this, even though I do know a few friends who gave me good reasons why they voted for him, but as a majority I'm going to call out a big BULL to that one. Of course you voted for him based on his race. The moment he won all I could see online and people's away messages among my black friends was "We did it! The first black President!" and similar anecdotes. Well, yes you did do it. You got so blinded by the change in history that you forgot about the more important changes for our children's history. Like I said...a rainbow is only so beautiful...and then it disappears.

I'm not happy about this at all. I've had to say goodbye to a lot in my life. But seriously the funerals are going to get worse! We will be saying goodbye to our freedoms. I don't mean freedoms you think you should have. I mean freedoms that were guaranteed to us by our founding fathers and by the good Lord in scripture. Homosexual marriage is no freedom. Abortion is no freedom. I'm talking about freedoms that matter. Like keeping our faith in this country without fear of persecution. (Hope you enjoy your final Christmas before we can't call it that anymore). Like keeping our well-earned wages and not having them deposited to the trash living out there milking the welfare tit who don't need it. I'm talking about our right to free speech! Now if some of you guys love Russia, then you're good. No need to worry about life in the U.S. By all means, get settled for that lifestyle. But for the rest of us who aren't dead from the heart up, we need to fight for our freedoms and the rights we have come to believe in.

You have no idea the change we're all in for. None of us do! I'd like to give Obama the benefit of the doubt, but I just have far too many doubts and not enough giving spirit. You might as well write down abortion kits on your grocery list because that's what its going to come down to. Over the counter baby killers right next to the Tylenol. But don't mix those up we wouldn't want to hurt you. Just the living...breathing...healthy baby living inside of you. I do support a woman's right to choose, and that choice should be to keep your legs closed! And if you can't do that, give that baby to someone who will love it in the adoption world and not the leftover Sunday dinners in the garbage can. And while I do respect all of my homosexual friends, I do NOT respect their lifestyle. I know some of them from back home and some new ones here in Atlanta at school. They are all very terrific people and very excellent friends. However, I just don't think their lifestyle should become a part of law. Yes, love them, be friends with them, but by God don't say "Hooray for gay marriage!" I do recall God crying with happiness in scripture when he created woman out of man. Because he had given us a gift. I'm not trying to start a gay debate, nor am I lighting a pitchfork and taking matters into my hands. I love my gay friends (and if you have problem with the word gay, then get over it.) The one thing we have forgotten is we are all people. ALL of us were created by God to do His works and wonders for His glory here on this earth. The challenge has just increased ten fold.

We just welcomed a new dawn. But how many dawns will we greet in the days to come? I don't know if this is the end of the world, and I don't quite care. I don't know if Obama is the anti-Christ and I also don't quite care. All I know is we as believers have been given a task. It's the reason we all still breathe. In my personal opinion, the church has gotten just as backwards as the government, but what a time for the church to take this opportunity...come together...and we have this moment to be helping steer this hand of change in the right direction. If there is one thing that angers me more than anything it is casual believers. I can't stand it. A lot of them are my friends. After the results came in last night, I heard a lot of people telling each other "let's calm down." Calm down?! To me this is just like 9/11. I want rage! Rage for what was done in this country. I'm not saying let's bomb the capitol haha I'm just saying we are allowed to be upset. God got upset before. Remember the flood? This is a time for us to pray. To live. To fight. To be on the forefront of this new dawn and guarantee our future. Help those who don't believe to guarantee their future. It's so hard, but we can do it. Don't you dare tell me to calm down. As believers, none of us should be calm.

Here at school is such a hard adjustment because I'm in a vast minority. A conservative. I think I tend to be more moderate in my politics, but everyone is saying Obama this and that and how "cool" he is. Which is fine. You're supporting your candidate and it's allowed. "Cool" is when you can save money, or get to the next level on a video game, NOT give an inexperienced man a brand new job. That's like promoting a known struggling alcoholic in the office as the new CEO. What I will NOT tolerate is the Bush bashing, the name calling and the childish pointing of fingers. I have to listen to people at school go on and on and on about this new age, peace in the world bull crap and it's like hearing a constant ringing in the ears that is ok at first but after a while it's like "PLEASE SHUT THAT NOISE UP!" So I have been told by a few people to be careful what I say at school. I'm sorry, what?! Be careful? Why in God's name should I be concerned with treading softly? If you'll recall, Jesus was a radical! All I can promise is, if people at school boast about crap and rant and rave about this, they better be prepared to hear the opposite comin from the tall, dimpled, skinny kid in the glasses. I'm just not one of those Christians who wants to let the tide wash over them, smooth them out and dull their edges. We are called to be like the Solid Rock not a smooth average pebble. We are all allowed our opinion...for a while at least. If I'm not getting respect for mine, don't expect me to scoop out respect for theirs. We need to be drawing our swords and fighting for His glory til the trumpet sounds. I'm just not one of those people who relies on prayer alone. yes, by all means, PRAY! Sweet Lord was I praying a lot this week. But you need to realize God instilled in us everything we need to act ourselves while we wait for His answer to our prayer. If you want to be on your knees in prayer, awesome, but at least be praying with an alert attitude! And I apologize if this is offensive, but if you are a believer who plays it safe and flies under the radar, you need to WAKE UP!

I'm not happy about this new dawn, but I will say this. I am a man of God. I am a loving person. I do my best to love everyone around me and respect them as God's creation. As much as I don't agree with our new President-elect, I will do my part to help him in this new day. We all have a part to play. And it's not a job description that requires sitting down. Get up! Fight! Live! Breathe! Do all things for His glory and in His name. What did God say about love? Among all things He created, the greatest of these is love. Here are some lyrics to a terrific Josh Kelley song, "More than love"

It's never been a simple equation
To figure out what we believe
And its far from a celebration
Were all searching for relief
Theres a world beyond the mirror
But sometimes all I see is me
Getting lost in my reflection
Losing touch. falling out of reach
It really is a wonder
How weve come so far
It seems that all we really care about is who we are

What if love is not enough to keep the world from breaking up?
If we're all out of touch will we ever know what is enough?
Whats more than love?
Whats more than love?

Its an empty ambition
examining philosophy
falling for the inqusition
of what its all supposed to mean
theres a dream around the corner
but no one goes down that street
its not an obvious decision
But it can lead to everything
It really is a wonder how we've come so far
Searching for a better way to play our part

What if love is not enough
to keep the world from breaking up?
If we're all out of touch
will we ever know what is enough?
Whats more than love?

As blind as we are. The truth can still be seen
Beneath all these scars youll find a heart that still beleves that

Love is enough to keep the world from breaking up
If we're all out of touch will we ever know what is enough?
Whats more than love?
Whats more than love?

As much as I rant and rave about this I will do my part. I will fight with love. I've really got nothing against anyone, just sheer disbelief that we were blinded by someone's cool factor. I could care less if my next president knows cool hand shakes with his wife or can relate to the youth of the country. What I care about is that the youth of the country still have a country we can leave to them in one piece. Like I said, I have my doubts. Where is my America? The one I used to be proud of. The one I used to be allowed to sing about and take pledge to in public schools. The one that used to care about me in return. I have a feeling we are in for a long haul. Any of you fellow believers not up for the challenge? If that's the case, sit back down let the tide smooth you over. It's time to be rough. It's time to be bold. It's time to be more like Jesus than ever before.