In a fitting tribute to my dying car and my love for hating spiders, my new blog header features this wonderfully gross picture of a spider that I took on my walk on the Heritage Trail the other night.
I'm challenging myself to take at least one picture each day this week. It has been an interesting and fun challenge for me.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
Good Samaritan
My wife and I went on a walk this evening on the Heritage Trail in Camas, WA. The parking lot has several warnings that this is a high crime area and that you should lock your car and take your valuables with you. We never really thought much of that because we have two junker cars, but as we pulled into the parking lot tonight, there was a nice four runner with a smashed window. Well, I guess this is a high crime area. Ironically, a developer is building brand new condos right down the street from this parking lot, and there is also a private golf course.
As we began walking, expressing how much smashed windows suck to the people around the four runner, we didn't really think about it after that. As we finish our walk and get to our car, I load my camera bag into the backseat, open the front door, sit down, stick the key in the ignition, turn and listen to the sound of nothing. The lights are on, but no one is home in the engine. Man, I have to find someone to jump the car. Thankfully there is a young man sitting in his Volvo and I ask if I could get my car jumped. I realized my jumper cables weren't in the car and said that he would go home to get his cables. He said that he just lived down the street and that he would be right back. To our surprise, the young man returned with his dad and a pair of jumper cables. How awesome and amazing. The car fired up, I thanked the dad, and I got my wife and I home. Me being the curious type, I turned off the car and turned the ignition. Nothing.
Thank God for the miracle of receiving a 2001 Ford Taurus from a relative, because it will relieve our junker complex for vehicles.
As we began walking, expressing how much smashed windows suck to the people around the four runner, we didn't really think about it after that. As we finish our walk and get to our car, I load my camera bag into the backseat, open the front door, sit down, stick the key in the ignition, turn and listen to the sound of nothing. The lights are on, but no one is home in the engine. Man, I have to find someone to jump the car. Thankfully there is a young man sitting in his Volvo and I ask if I could get my car jumped. I realized my jumper cables weren't in the car and said that he would go home to get his cables. He said that he just lived down the street and that he would be right back. To our surprise, the young man returned with his dad and a pair of jumper cables. How awesome and amazing. The car fired up, I thanked the dad, and I got my wife and I home. Me being the curious type, I turned off the car and turned the ignition. Nothing.
Thank God for the miracle of receiving a 2001 Ford Taurus from a relative, because it will relieve our junker complex for vehicles.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Switchbacks and Suffering
Yesterday, I decided to go for a hike out in the Columbia River Gorge. It has been just about two years since I went on this particular hike, and as I have unfortunately let myself go in the physical department over the past three years, it was extremely difficult.
As I started out for Upper Wahkeena Falls, my heart began to pound and my legs hurt, reminding me of two things: 1) I really miss hiking and being out in nature and 2) Damn, I'm out of shape. It was really sad, but as I felt the cool breeze and spray from Upper Wahkeena, I pushed on, setting my course for the switchbacks up to the lookout of the Gorge and my favorite section of trails that eventually lead to Fairy Falls, Devils Rest and many other destinations. The switchbacks, recently being paved, were just as I remembered them, neverending, yet, as I stopped over climbing each switchback, my attention was drawn to something different everytime. From the way the sun was streaming through a giant maple, a moss covered wall home to several millipedes, a dew-covered spider web, fuzzy caterpillars, a dead tree with its roots sticking up in the air, there were so many fascinating things, and for the first time, I felt the freedom to try and photograph them. It was great! Not many pictures turned out, but the key was that I was trying new things. FINALLY! Trying new things. Hiking a trail that has long forgotten my loving stride, taking pictures with new techniques (flash in the outdoors, slow-shutter zoom, high ISO, macro), and most importantly, getting in the car and driving to such a beautiful location.
While things were difficult to get to the top and back, and I am still feeling the effects of that hike, I was able to really say that through that suffering, it has produced in me the desire to keep trying. Sure, I couldn't go at the pace that I once did, but it seems to me that if I would have went at a faster pace, not only would it have harmed me, but perhaps I wouldn't have seen all that I saw on the hike, and had the magical epiphany that I had.
As I started out for Upper Wahkeena Falls, my heart began to pound and my legs hurt, reminding me of two things: 1) I really miss hiking and being out in nature and 2) Damn, I'm out of shape. It was really sad, but as I felt the cool breeze and spray from Upper Wahkeena, I pushed on, setting my course for the switchbacks up to the lookout of the Gorge and my favorite section of trails that eventually lead to Fairy Falls, Devils Rest and many other destinations. The switchbacks, recently being paved, were just as I remembered them, neverending, yet, as I stopped over climbing each switchback, my attention was drawn to something different everytime. From the way the sun was streaming through a giant maple, a moss covered wall home to several millipedes, a dew-covered spider web, fuzzy caterpillars, a dead tree with its roots sticking up in the air, there were so many fascinating things, and for the first time, I felt the freedom to try and photograph them. It was great! Not many pictures turned out, but the key was that I was trying new things. FINALLY! Trying new things. Hiking a trail that has long forgotten my loving stride, taking pictures with new techniques (flash in the outdoors, slow-shutter zoom, high ISO, macro), and most importantly, getting in the car and driving to such a beautiful location.
While things were difficult to get to the top and back, and I am still feeling the effects of that hike, I was able to really say that through that suffering, it has produced in me the desire to keep trying. Sure, I couldn't go at the pace that I once did, but it seems to me that if I would have went at a faster pace, not only would it have harmed me, but perhaps I wouldn't have seen all that I saw on the hike, and had the magical epiphany that I had.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Season Premieres
In the coming weeks, two of my favorite television shows have their season premieres, Lost and The Office. First, The Office. What an awesome show, in that the fake documentary as episodic television model works well. I have been a sucker for the Pam and Jim love story, and when they kissed in the season finale, my wife and I sat shocked, because we thought the writers of the show would prolong that moment for so much longer! We are both eagerly anticipating the return!
About a month ago, Kristina and I rented the first disc of Lost: Season 1, because neither of us had seen the show before. Fast forward to today, when we just finished the season finale of season 2. HOW FRICKIN' AWESOME! Every time something cool happened, I would turn to my wife and say, "I love this show!" We are excited to see how things are going to develop in season 3. The only downside is that since we watched the first two seasons on DVD, we are now going to have to contend with the reality that if want to find out, we can't just put in the next DVD and watch it all day long. Oh, and commercials. Sadness.
About a month ago, Kristina and I rented the first disc of Lost: Season 1, because neither of us had seen the show before. Fast forward to today, when we just finished the season finale of season 2. HOW FRICKIN' AWESOME! Every time something cool happened, I would turn to my wife and say, "I love this show!" We are excited to see how things are going to develop in season 3. The only downside is that since we watched the first two seasons on DVD, we are now going to have to contend with the reality that if want to find out, we can't just put in the next DVD and watch it all day long. Oh, and commercials. Sadness.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Working Out of a Backpack
My latest business offering has the potential for me to travel overseas, and with that, I am thinking about how to effectively work out of a single backpack with multiple mediums. In April 2004, I traveled to Hermosillo, Mexico with my church and for one week I was a videographer in charge of video taping everything, which was awesome because it gave me a taste of my dream of one day being a world traveler documenting what I see and experience in video and photography. But the one drawback that I will never forget is that while the camera (a Canon XL1) took great video, I had to carry around the bag, as well as a large tripod and a backpack with all the filters and miscellaneous product that necessitate great video. I was worn out by all that gear!
But today in the wonderful world of 2006, times are different and great products are shrinking in size, and since I am building a system from the ground up, I have the privilege and benefit of researching quality products that will work from a backpack.
My first stop is a backpack. Tamrac has an Adventure 9 backpack that holds a professional digital SLR with 5" lens attached, several spare lenses, flashes, accessories and a laptop! Perfect, that covers my photography gear as well as a computer, but what about video. Enter the HV10, Canon's new HDV camera that fits in the palm of your hand. From what I have seen, the video quality rocks (even though a potential drawback is a lens that is too telephoto at its widest length) and it would fit into the backpack. There is also a built-in light and flash, how handy! But what about audio? There are no mic inputs, so how could I get professional audio for video production? Well, Zoom has a new product called the H4 that sounds almost too good to be true! Built-in mics, XLR mic inputs, built-in guitar effects, and more! That rocks! But we'll see when it comes out how good it really is. Other miscellaneous accessories that would be great and accessible within this system is a carbon fiber tripod, why carry around a bulky tripod, and a reflector to help with some lighting.
Well, as I begin putting together this system, it is also a very functional system when working around the Portland/Vancouver area, so this is definitely a great system to invest in. I'm sure something better will come along each month, but the good news is that there is hope for a great mobile production facility!
But today in the wonderful world of 2006, times are different and great products are shrinking in size, and since I am building a system from the ground up, I have the privilege and benefit of researching quality products that will work from a backpack.
My first stop is a backpack. Tamrac has an Adventure 9 backpack that holds a professional digital SLR with 5" lens attached, several spare lenses, flashes, accessories and a laptop! Perfect, that covers my photography gear as well as a computer, but what about video. Enter the HV10, Canon's new HDV camera that fits in the palm of your hand. From what I have seen, the video quality rocks (even though a potential drawback is a lens that is too telephoto at its widest length) and it would fit into the backpack. There is also a built-in light and flash, how handy! But what about audio? There are no mic inputs, so how could I get professional audio for video production? Well, Zoom has a new product called the H4 that sounds almost too good to be true! Built-in mics, XLR mic inputs, built-in guitar effects, and more! That rocks! But we'll see when it comes out how good it really is. Other miscellaneous accessories that would be great and accessible within this system is a carbon fiber tripod, why carry around a bulky tripod, and a reflector to help with some lighting.
Well, as I begin putting together this system, it is also a very functional system when working around the Portland/Vancouver area, so this is definitely a great system to invest in. I'm sure something better will come along each month, but the good news is that there is hope for a great mobile production facility!
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Confessions of a Converted Pack Rat
Yesterday and today, I have embarked upon the monotonous and gargantuan task of shredding box upon box of old receipts, bank statements, invoices, pay stubs, and old bills ranging from power to the athletic club that I used to be a member of. It's like an odd trip down memory lane spanning four years and sometimes beyond, cards from Kristina when we were just dating, pictures of my family, young pictures of me on driver's licenses and permits, old video rental cards and my coveted rejection letter from Big Idea (I applied for a job there out of college).
All in all, I can't believe the amount of junk that I held onto thinking that one day I would revisit everything for some reason that is now beyond me. In the midst of shredding the fifth box, the shredder has seized, obviously burdened with the single sheet of paper that I placed in it, effectively saying, "no more, I need a break!" I still have one more shoebox to go, and I still haven't touched the three giant cardboard boxes in my closet with random artwork from art school and various nick-nacks from an era when I obviously had money to waste on such frivolous things such as nick-nacks.
I can't help but think about what I else in different areas of my life that I have put into a cardboard box thinking that perhaps one day I would revisit it. Thank God for the notion to want to move into a new apartment, because it has given me motivation to exorcise the pack rat demon that has plagued me since moving out on my own.
All in all, I can't believe the amount of junk that I held onto thinking that one day I would revisit everything for some reason that is now beyond me. In the midst of shredding the fifth box, the shredder has seized, obviously burdened with the single sheet of paper that I placed in it, effectively saying, "no more, I need a break!" I still have one more shoebox to go, and I still haven't touched the three giant cardboard boxes in my closet with random artwork from art school and various nick-nacks from an era when I obviously had money to waste on such frivolous things such as nick-nacks.
I can't help but think about what I else in different areas of my life that I have put into a cardboard box thinking that perhaps one day I would revisit it. Thank God for the notion to want to move into a new apartment, because it has given me motivation to exorcise the pack rat demon that has plagued me since moving out on my own.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Inspired Intrigue
If you're anything like I am, you are constantly seeking inspiration. Looking at the work of another artist, a natural state of comparison sets in, and in your mind you either confirm that you are better or worse than that individual. While on the surface that doesn't seem like such a bad thing, the reality is that comparison in any form defines the main limitation that is consistent between all creative disciplines and ultimately, life. The reason that is true, is because we are uniquely made, and meant to be different from one another. And that is a good thing. It is good that I will never be Michelangelo, David Carson, Steven Spielberg, Walter Murch, Galen Rowell, or Chris Martin from Coldplay. It is good that I will learn to be who I am created to be, because the greatest deception is for us to believe that we can be like another human being in action or intent or desire. As artists, our sole concern is to find our identity...and then smash it into a million pieces as we mold and shape who it is that we are to be. The only way that we can find our identity is to search, to create, to deny, to believe, to destroy, to build and to find the life that is freely given to us as a gift.
I found out lately that it's okay to think what you think and it's okay to say what you say. When you try to be someone else, and only say what you think someone else wants you to say, you eliminate your thoughts and ideas and identity, breeding confusion. Confusion in your mind regarding others and yourself. You become self-centered by ignoring your own point of view, because deep inside you hold everyone ransom because you have martyred your opinion. That is the image of a true tortured artist. The primary goal of an artist is to get beyond what others think of your work, and to detach your personal worth and value from the art that you create. If you are unable to do that, you can never have the freedom to be yourself, and the freedom to create and try new things, without the fear that someone won't like you because your artistic attempt is a failure or not good enough. This is the path that artists must walk. Some make it, some cut off their ears, some quit their jobs in search of something deeper, some end it all. But they must realize that holding the power of creativity in the palm of your hand is dangerous if improperly wielded. However, with a healthy view of the world and your life, creativity creates some of the most beautiful art that has ever been seen this side of eternity.
All that said, I love what I do. I am constantly intrigued by what can be accomplished, and that drives me as an artist. But what intrigues me more is not only what can be accomplished but what has been accomplished in the natural creation of the world that we live in. Waterfalls, canyons, plants, trees, rivers, oceans, clouds, and rain, all beautiful elements that can easily be taken for granted, yet they never cease to amaze me, to blow me away by the unlimited supply of diversity and creativity. I'm also intrigued by people, another source of diversity and creativity. I love to people watch everywhere I go. And how people interact with one another leads me to scratch my head as I wonder why they do what they do, how they are so different from me, and what makes us truly unique.
As you can see I am intrigued by many disciplines of thought, creativity, and art, and yet while they are so different from one another, they are united by their limitations. I believe that the limitations of one discipline only leads to a greater impact in another, increasing the ability to communicate, and that is the heart and essence of true art. A web of mediums and disciplines forming a foundation that is able to support the weight of communication. That is what I choose to stick to, not a devotion to a specific medium, but a devotion to the art of communication, learning to communicate truth, beauty, value, worth; each time simpler and more effectively. That is the true challenge as an artist, and I pass that challenge on to you.
NOTE: To keep my thoughts simple and straightforward, I use the term "artist" to describe a collective of professionals ranging from filmmakers, print designers, web designers, photographers, musicians, writers, and anyone else that employs creativity to solve a problem. This is from my previous website posted on November 13, 2005.
Welcome to ChrisMartin.com
Welcome to ChrisMartin.com, the thoughts and ideas of Chris Martin. If you are looking for my portfolio of work, feel free to go to the Chris Martin Studios link in the right-hand links section. Thanks for reading my blog!
If you are looking for Chris Martin of Coldplay, please go to www.coldplay.com. Be sure to buy their music, it is great!
If you are looking for Chris Martin of Coldplay, please go to www.coldplay.com. Be sure to buy their music, it is great!
Little Miss Sunshine
Today, Kristina and I went and saw "Little Miss Sunshine", a movie with Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, and several other actors. In the midst of some family turmoil, which I shall reserve for another posting one day (or more than one, who knows), this movie hit in a way that allowed us to laugh at the beautiful disfunction that is modern American families. The son doesn't speak and loves Nietschze, the daughter is a pudgy beauty queen contestant, the mom is a secret chain-smoking parent who tries to please and help everyone in the family, the dad is obsessed with winners and losers and the 9 steps to being a winner, the uncle is obsessed with men and scholars, and the grandpa is addicted to drugs. It's a happy family.
What I enjoyed most were the characters. They were all great and very realistic, which is a difficult thing to portray in this life since it seems that Hollywood is more obsessed with making the big dollar than portraying "reality". The movie gave me the ability to laugh and cry at my own family situation, and helped me to see that all families have problems, there are just some ways better than others in dealing with the problems.
My favorite section of the movie involves Steve Carell's character Frank and the young son standing on a dock talking about life. The young man says to Frank, "do what you like. [Forget] everything else." I appreciated that line because it is so easy to want to do things that you don't really want to do, yet they will ease the family turmoil or help others to ignore their problems.
I highly recommend "Little Miss Sunshine" for a startling and provocative look at the reality of American families. Is this what has become of the American dream?
What I enjoyed most were the characters. They were all great and very realistic, which is a difficult thing to portray in this life since it seems that Hollywood is more obsessed with making the big dollar than portraying "reality". The movie gave me the ability to laugh and cry at my own family situation, and helped me to see that all families have problems, there are just some ways better than others in dealing with the problems.
My favorite section of the movie involves Steve Carell's character Frank and the young son standing on a dock talking about life. The young man says to Frank, "do what you like. [Forget] everything else." I appreciated that line because it is so easy to want to do things that you don't really want to do, yet they will ease the family turmoil or help others to ignore their problems.
I highly recommend "Little Miss Sunshine" for a startling and provocative look at the reality of American families. Is this what has become of the American dream?
Friday, September 01, 2006
Agassi vs. Retirement
I'm not much of a tennis fan, but lately I have been drawn to the matches of one man, Andre Agassi. Last night, he battled for nearly 4 hours with a 21 year old, Marcos Baghdatis, and won the match after Baghdatis' legs began to cramp in the middle of an 8 deuce duel in the fifth set.
When Agassi was asked in the post-match interview how he was able to win, he said that his back was feeling good, thanks to a cortisone shot in the back, and having 20,000 people cheering for him definitely helped. But I believe there is something else that Agassi has, and that is the endurance and drive to finish well. This being his last U.S. Open, he wants to win. He wants to go out on top, and that is inspiring to me.
I am inspired by people who rise above the status quo of mediocrity, by performing well, inspiring me to live for my dreams. And that is what Agassi does as I watch him give everything he has, and more, to finish well. He is a true inspiration.
When Agassi was asked in the post-match interview how he was able to win, he said that his back was feeling good, thanks to a cortisone shot in the back, and having 20,000 people cheering for him definitely helped. But I believe there is something else that Agassi has, and that is the endurance and drive to finish well. This being his last U.S. Open, he wants to win. He wants to go out on top, and that is inspiring to me.
I am inspired by people who rise above the status quo of mediocrity, by performing well, inspiring me to live for my dreams. And that is what Agassi does as I watch him give everything he has, and more, to finish well. He is a true inspiration.
Free Derek Webb
Now, I can honestly say that I haven't really heard Derek Webb's music, but several friends who have followed his career for some time say that he is awesome. Download his latest album (68MB), Mockingbird, for free at www.freederekwebb.com, and check out his music! You have to put in five friend's email addresses, but they won't sell the addresses to pay for the free downloads.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)