8:31:54 PM Liza Mae: as you know I have an addictive personality
8:31:57 PM Liza Mae::and you more so
8:31:57 PM Liza Mae: lol
8:32:20 PMLiza Mae: but i’m addicted to something bad
8:32:33 PMLiza Mae: it numbs my life
8:32:39 PMLiza Mae: so I don’t feel shit
8:32:44 PMLiza Mae: feel confused
8:32:45 PMLiza Mae: anxious
8:32:47 PMLiza Mae: lost
8:33:31 PM Liza Mae: but i gotta stop
8:33:36 PM Liza Mae: i need to go through the pain
8:33:41 PM Liza Mae: the struggles
8:33:57 PM Liza Mae: of life.
8:34:30 PM Liza Mae: for the only way through it is to go through it … not around it ..
8:34:34 PM Liza Mae: and ignore it
8:34:56 PM Liza Mae: i need to challenge myself to just get through this bumpy part of my life
8:35:05 PM Liza Mae: i need to stop ignoring the issues
8:35:44 PM Liza Mae: I need to stop second guessing myself
8:35:50 PM Liza Mae: I just need to do
8:36:03 PM Liza Mae: for there are dreamers who wish it will happen
8:36:09 PM Liza Mae: and there are doers who make those dreams happen
8:36:25 PM Liza Mae: I need to figure out what will bring me closer to God
8:37:43 PM J: is that a post ?
8:37:50 PM Liza Mae: no just wrote it now
8:38:07 PM J: wow, that’s good
8:39:13 PM Liza Mae: seriously though
8:39:21 PM Liza Mae: I gotta stop pretending
8:39:28 PM Liza Mae: that I am ok
8:39:31 PM Liza Mae: I am not okay
8:39:45 PM Liza Mae: and it is perfectly fine to NOT be okay
8:39:50 PM Liza Mae: for everyone struggles
8:39:56 PM Liza Mae: through pain
8:40:28 PM Liza Mae: everyone struggles with life
8:40:44 PM Liza Mae: we were born out of struggle
8:40:56 PM Liza Mae: when our mothers gave birth to us
8:41:33 PM Liza Mae: so why is life no different
8:41:38 PM J: yeah, everyone struggles with different things at different times
8:41:56 PM J: it’s all a struggle
Self Assessment of Life Struggles
In the last few months I’ve been trying to figure out the all-in-one answer to all of my pondering questions and problems of life but realize that there is no all-in-one answer. I’ve been struggling through many different issues and try to fix them all at once to make my life perfect, without struggle, without any problems but I’m starting to realize that life will always have problems but how will you over come it?
Some people, including myself, deal with it by numbing the reality with addictions whether it be drugs, alcohol, sex, or whatever self inflicting actions that will numb the hard times but this is not the route one should take, for obvious reasons. During these times you are trying to construct your life not destruct it, so start building. I keep telling myself that I just have to get through it, no matter how difficult it may be for one day everything will be okay and I can look back at this time of my life as another lesson learned.
I take a deep breath feeling the oxygen go in through my nostrils, filling my lungs, expanding my chest and stomach, deep in to my core, and I hold the air in for two seconds and exhale the toxins within, out from my nose.
I repeat this a couple more times until my beat of my heart slows down to a relaxing level.
I feel that I am standing on the boardwalk of a beach. A beach that feels familiar …
the smell of saltiness,
the wind is cool and fresh against my skin though the sun’s heat warms me,
the sand is white and clean,
the sky is clear and blue,
the sound of waves are crashing on the sand.
I am still looking to the path of the board walk where it is desolate. I suddenly see a figure in the distance, moving towards me.
I see a vision of him …
So I begin to run towards him feeling, hearing the whispers of the wind, my hair brush against my face erratically like a tree on a windy day. As I take a step I feel the wooden boards beneath me collapse just slightly, not enough to break but resist my step. I hear my steps thud faster and faster against each wooden board as I land, fracturing the wood slightly. Though my breath is still in the same relaxed slow pace as I was standing still.
I hear a deep voice caressing my ears … “Time to wake your body from rest … stretch … do what you do when you are waking up.”
In my previous review about Instagram for Beginners I discussed the basic info about Instagram and my likes and dislikes. Since then Instagram has launched a new update which has taken on a new look which I will review and also show you how to get more likes, comments, and followers.
Instagram Updates – Summary of Features
Preset borders with filters are now optional – Though this is an improvement from the previous version, you still can’t use any border with a filter.
3 new filters added – Amaro, Valencia, & Hudson
2 filters removed - Gothem & Apollo, good choice for those are filters that were specific and personally I didn’t use often. I’m glad Instagram developers are paying attention.
Editing screen is all in one – There is no need to jump from the tilt-shift screen then back to the filter screen. It can all be done in one shot.
Instagram Tips & Tricks – Get more Instagram Followers
Get noticed, use hash tags # - If you are a Tumblr or Twitter user, you can post tags by inserting hash tags like #iphoneography #photo, etc. Hash tags that you previously used will appear.
The only thing I don’t like about this feature on tumblr is that it adds the hash tag it to the description. I wish instagram removed the hash tags in tumblr.
Get personal and reply to your comments - If you want to respond personally to comments on your instagram feed, write @username, just like Twitter. When you put @, instagram propagates your contact list, making it easy to search for the person you are replying to. Instagram is NOT like facebook where it will send you a notification if someone commented on a photo.
Take picture with the Camera app – The problem with taking pictures with instagram is that the maximum resolution it saves images is 612×612 pixels. If you want to do more with the photos, like print, edit, create a desktop image, resolution will get lost. I usually use Camera+ to take all my photos.
Use the filters, borders, or tilt shift to take pictures - If you are taking the photo with instagram, there is an option on Instagram to take the picture with filters, borders, and tilt shift and what’s good about it is that it isn’t permanent. That’s right, you can change the filters even though you used a certain filter to take the photo.
I have grown to love my iPhone camera for it takes random moments like this picture of birds taking a bath in a puddle. Also, since I’ve been car-less, my walks allow me to appreciate little moments such as these for the world is at a slower pace. I encourage you to walk for it is good exercise and you start to notice things around you instead of letting the moment pass you by.
Since I’ve been back in Toronto life hasn’t been quite the same as when I left and quite honestly I haven’t been having the best of days. I have been practically house bound since I arrived for I have to figure out some things in my life, big and small, and I don’t have a car. This has caused me to be demotivated to exercise or move but a close friend of mine told me I need to go running for it will make me feel better. In my mind I knew it would be good for me, for it would make me realize that I can breath the fresh air, soak in some sun, and give me that runner’s high. I still wasn’t motivated but with enough time and mental preparation, 7 hours later, I finally removed my pajama gear I’ve been mopping around in for the past 2 days and threw on some baggy pants, tank, and running shoes.
As I began running I started to feel the soreness of my body especially my quadriceps. I thought I couldn’t do my regular 5KM route for I haven’t been this sore before. I don’t know what I did but I was in pain. Every step I could feel my muscle fibers yelling at me to stop but I started to drown out the noise with my iPod, feeling the air fill my lungs, the kiss of the sun on my skin, and the ground beneath my feet.
I began to start feeling alive again but was still in pain. I doubted I could do the full route, so in my mind I said I’ll do a lot less than normal.
As I approached a house with two kids playing in their front lawn, they stopped what they were doing to wave and smile as I passed. I could not resist smiling back for kids are the most purest of creatures. They made me feel like I was running a marathon where people cheered from the sideline. It was probably 7 minutes in to my run and they made me appreciate that moment from thereon. Life is too short to be miserable.
I managed to do my regular 5KM running route and in record time of 25 minutes. I fought through the pain and guess what?
I survived.
Life can be painful at times but we just have to push through the pain for it will make us stronger and as cliche as it sounds, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When you are going through a painful experience, the light does not shine bright but as time moves forward, you will start to see the light again.
I have converted from my now retired BlackBerry Curve to an iPhone 4 white and one of my favorite iPhone photography apps is Instagram, so I’m going to break down Instagram for Beginners.
RIP Black Berry Curve – Photo Taken with Instagram
Instagram for Beginners | What is Instagram?
If you don’t know what Instagram is, you probably don’t have an iPhone, for it is currently only available for iPhone users. Instagram is a FREE photography app for iPhone where you can share your photos with friends and family through different social media streams. You can visit Instagram’s FAQ for more information or download Instagram – Burbn, Inc.
Print Screen of Instagram Feed
Liked Features of Instagram
FREE iPhone App – one of my favorite Free Apps
15 custom filters - transforms the photo’s mood and tone, as shown in the example below – click image for a bigger view.
Example: Instagram Filters
Tilt-Shift Feature- You can either use the tilt-shift feature as a circle or linear
Example: Instagram Tilt Shift Feature
Share photos through multiple social media streams (Twitter, FaceBook, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, Posterous)
Share via email
Easily find friends to follow from your contact list, FaceBook, or Twitter
Saves photo in Camera Roll
Example: Instagram Final Photo Saved on Camera Roll
Disliked Features of Instagram
Cropping of photo is square and limits what you can get in the frame
Preset borders with filters – I wish you can choose the filter and then choose the border but the filter and borders are all in one.
Overall
I recommend downloading Instagram for it is one of faves.
I am breaking up with my long lost lover of New York City, or maybe just a separation? I have no idea for I have to figure out a couple things in my life before that can happen. As I come to terms with the reality that I have to come home to Toronto, it feels like my world is crumbling at its core. This has been the longest I’ve ever been in New York City for my trips usually last for a weekend and the longest was one time during spring break in university where I stayed for a week. Now that I’ve been here for a month, I have fell in love with the city harder than I ever have.
It was the summer of 1994 when I first travelled to New York City. I was 11 years old and it was a summer road trip with my family where we went from Toronto-Ottawa-Vermont-New York City-Toronto. It was quite a scenic trip and I loved the mountains in Vermont and remember going through a bridge that had a house structure covering it. Then as we got closer to the city you can start to notice the congestion of vehicles and buildings starting to emerge. I have visited New York City before this but I was even younger and didn’t really appreciate or care to notice my surroundings. This time was quite different for I was pre-teens and can comprehend the greatness that was New York City. This is not my first time writing about New York for I did a comparison 5 years ago, New York vs. Toronto, and looking back I shouldn’t of let anyone hold me from my dreams, another story, another day.
I loved the busyness that filled the streets of New York City. You can feel the energy in the air and the bright lights everywhere. I remember hanging out with my cousin and her friend on the front building steps in Astoria, Queens, listening to music-filled cars blaring salsa or hip hop music or passerby’s talking amongst each other. This is when I started people watching for amusement. I watch the way people move, interact, dress, and try to analyze what kind of person they are. I can do this for hours and New York City is an awesome city to do so.
Brooklyn Bridge
New York City isn’t for everyone but I love it. What makes me love it even more is the friends that I have met throughout the years. It is one of the main reasons I keep coming back for I love them and I have a couple of my favorite people here. Every time I visit it seems I gain a new friendship through friends of friends or just randomly. You are guaranteed to see a new face every time you step outside, so the amount of interactions is endless.
For some reason I still remember 2 songs that remind me of my first trip to New York City which I had to check release years to validate that my memory served me correct. It was 1994 when TLC released CrazySexyCool and Aaliyah (RIP) released Aged Ain’t Nothing but a Number. These are the two songs that bring back the memories of New York City at the age of 11.
TLC – Creep
Aaliyah – Back and Forth
My closest friends from Toronto keep telling me that New York City is where my heart belongs. In 2006 I wrote about New York vs. Toronto and I still feel the same way 5 years later minus the ex. I’m not too sure if I am convinced to move but I definitely do not eliminate it from my future. Anything is possible but for now I will continue to love New York City for all that it has to offer and I’ll try to figure out where and what my next steps are going to be.
“CONTACT is an annual festival of photography in Toronto, during the month of May, with over 1000 local, national and international artists exhibiting at more than 200 venues … the festival is devoted to celebrating, and fostering the art and profession of photography. CONTACT is the largest photography event in the world, and a premiere cultural event in Canada.” – Visit the festivals website for more information. (www.scotiabankcontactphoto.com)
Contact Festival - A Sign in the Northwest Passage
Exhibit Overviews | A Sign in the Northwest Passage and In Broad Terms
I decided to go to the two exhibits, A Sign in the Northwest Passage and In Broad Terms, for they were in walking distance of each other and seemed like interesting exhibits.
The northwest passage public installation is located on the south wall of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery(231 Queens Quay W) and will be up for display until August 21. As I was searching for it I found out that the art exhibit is free on Wednesday Evenings between 5pm-8pm which I will definitely hit up sometime this summer.
Contact Festival - In Broad Terms
The second exhibit, In Broad Terms, was located at Steam Whistle Brewery and I’ve always wanted to visit but never found the opportunity to do so until now. The exhibit is located past the bar on the exposed brick. There are 10 photographers featured at this event with interesting types of works examining human representation. The concepts were quite interesting like putting two strangers together to portray the uncomfortable body language of the subjects. I loved the location of his exhibit for you can grab a beer and enjoy some fine pieces of art.
Favorite Photographs from the In Broad Terms Exhibit
I am a twenty-somethings female photographer in search of love, the meaning of life, and adventure. I am passionate about anything photography from the snap to the click.
