Monday, December 31, 2012

happy 2013!



I hope all of you, my dearest followers, have a wonderful 2013!

2012 was a year of change for me, but most of all a year of growth. So much changed for the better in my life, that even the things I called bad at the time (the huge bout of depression, panic attacks, lack of inspiration) seem tiny in comparison. I am fortunate to be here and to have this outlet, this way of sharing my life.

Let's pray for a 2013 just as full and as joyful as this last one has been.

I only have two resolutions for this year (I tend to only do resolutions I know I can keep, so bear with me): to photograph more and to do less worrying and over-thinking about life. Life was meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed to the detail. I need to tell my brain that more often.

Have a wonderful time, my dear friends, and know that I am unbelievably grateful to have you all in my life.

Monday, December 24, 2012

A very merry Christmas

Even though I've been ridiculously busy and kind of away from this blog, I wanted to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas. May your days be filled with light and joy!


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

winter at the beach

Last Sunday, while my Mother worked, my sister came with me and the rest of our family on a walk. It was sunny outside, and even though it was as cold as could be, we had fun. She loves the beach, and she's such a city girl that I'm always happy when she can soak up some sun, albeit cold and wintery, and run around outside.


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

afternoon out with Dad

A couple of weeks ago, I convinced my dad to bring me to the plant shop in exchange for a couple of hours at the beach with his dog, Pompeu. It was wonderful. Pompeu gets so happy to run in the sand, he just runs and jumps and brings us stuff. It's hilarious.

Since my dad wanted a photoshoot with Pompeu, I took a few pictures that day, as well as at the plant shop. I just love that place. I hope you enjoy them!


(more under the cut!)

Friday, November 23, 2012

terra


Story 10/52
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terra
in a small strip of land, she put herself to sleep. and from that deathly slumber, life became again.
------
I took this photo in July, right after my darling arrived. After that, I had so many photos to process that I ended up putting these on the backburner — until today, when I found them and processed them.
I hope you enjoy them. Thank you so much for your continuous support and kindness towards me and my work.
(two outtakes after the cut)

Monday, November 19, 2012

weekly shot — outtakes and behind the scenes

I feel like I have abandoned this place! I shall correct that. I'm sorry I've been absent for a week — it's just been a weird time for me, even though it was good. I've just been photographing more and editing less and having less time to spend here. But I promise to be better from now on!

In the meantime, you can check out this article from fstoppers.com! I am featured! It was such an honor to be there with names like Brooke Shaden or my friend Sarah Ann Loreth. It really was amazing, and it came at a wonderful time; I've been feeling very down about my art, very uninspired. That these people like my work? It's a fantastic feeling.

On with the work, though. You can see the original shot on Flickr; here are the outtakes and the behind the scenes photos!


Sunday, November 11, 2012

photo dump (aka I made the mistake of letting the photos pile up)

This post could also be known as 'how Lu can spend a week baking and cooking and eating and still act like she's getting thinner'. Oh well.


a ton of pictures after the cut!

Friday, November 9, 2012

the days



Story 8/52
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the days
Most days, she wanted to break it. The mirror, that image of herself. That constant feeling of failure, of
not being enough. Of never being able to deal with the world the way everyone else does.
But then there are days when she smiles, when she finds it easy to look outside. When the stone of anxiety doesn't weigh her chest down.
It's not getting better, she's well aware of that. But some days, a few days every once in a while, she finds that she can deal.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

november daily 7 + 8

#7: reflection

#8: something you do every day — writing/sketching

Don't forget to add #november_daily to your tags, if you're doing this challenge!
Follow me on instagram @luminous_lu!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Monday, November 5, 2012

november daily: 5


#5: five o'clock

If you're doing this on instagram, don't forget to tag your photos #november_daily! That way we can all keep track of each other!

[more under the cut]

november daily: 4

#4: TV 
[double exposure built on photoshop]

If you're doing this challenge, in addition to the #FMSphotoaday, tag your photos #november_daily. I've been using that tag and that way we can all stick together. 

a couple more behind the cut.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

November Daily

The few of you who follow me on instagram might have noticed that I'm participating in a daily challenge this month. I have, however, decided to accompany my instagram project with an actual camera project and post the results here, as regularly as possible.

Here's the table with the themes:





And the actual photos!

#1: Something beginning with 'C': cup


#2: Color


#3: Breakfast

I hope you enjoy following the pictures here, as well! Have a wonderful rest of weekend! 



Friday, November 2, 2012

demons


Story 7/52
-----
demons
As it became, she knew that if she opened her mouth they would come crawling out. She did. She wanted them out, she wanted to purge the demons inside of her. She wanted the creatures to run free and wild and away from her. The thoughts. The evil thoughts that made her anxious, that made her crawl with fear and sadness and the certainty that everything was going to go wrong. She wanted them out. She would cut herself, but that would show and she didn’t want anyone knowing. She would throw herself off a building, but that would cause pain to the people she loved, and she didn’t want that, either. She just wanted the bad thoughts to go away. She just wanted them to fade, to become unimportant. She wanted death to stop being a part of her brain, the most prominent part. She wanted the sadness and the questioning and the fear and the anxiety to be a part of her past. So she opened her mouth and let them run away, let them go and flee and go some place so far that they could never be seen again.
She might need to do it again tomorrow. And the day after that and for as long as she existed. It was exhausting. But at least it was something she could do.
------


Monday, October 29, 2012

Berlin, the last few days (this time!)

When I got busy with other pieces of work, I set aside the photos I took in Berlin for later review. I had some time back in the weekend and ended up processing them to share on my personal facebook, and I thought it was finally time to share them with you. I hope you like them! Let me know what you think!


more under the cut!

Friday, October 26, 2012

a starless sky


Story 6/52
-----
a starless sky
And as she fell down the sky, she realized that no earth or moon or sun could ever bring her back to grace. She was done. There would be no thinking again, no believing that it's all right. This fall would follow her for the rest of her existence.
------
I was told to put my messed up emotions into photos. I guess this is what came out. It's mostly related to the loss of innocence that comes with the first panic/anxiety attacks. You realize your life is never going to be the same again, because you'll always have that cloud over you, the possibility of everthing going horribly wrong due to a crisis.
I don't know. I'm just not very optimistic today.


Friday, October 19, 2012

structured


Story 5/52

----
structured

A structure too rigid can be the death of you. Let yourself go and enjoy your day. Don't think about what's to come. It's the now that matters.

----

I have a skeleton! I finally have a skeleton! 

I can finally start working on the series I've had planned since April! But of course, I had to use it for my weekly shot, instead. I do like it, though. 


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

my autumn

I'm not usually a fan of the Fall. I prefer the Spring, when everything feels new, or the Summer, when I can run and take my bicycle and wear tiny dresses. I usually equate the Fall and the Winter with rain, with depression and loneliness. 

Maybe it's because I'm neither. Maybe it's because I'm okay, even with a few mood swings; I'm working as a dessert chef at my dad's restaurant, I'm taking pictures, I have my garden and my 52 Stories and my NaNoWriMo almost starting. So I'm good. And being good allows me to appreciate the things I don't normally do — which is exactly what I've been doing these days. 

I spent my afternoon, yesterday, taking care of my garden. I trimmed the tomato bush (oh goodness!), tied the tallest plants to sticks (I have a cucumber branch that is taller than I am!) and moved things around to give them space to grow. I also picked a handful of tomatoes and chili peppers, as well as an eggplant! I have eggplants!








Today, after having lunch with my friend J, I came home and started my tiny herb garden. I've had a lot of offerings from people around me, mostly for small herbs, like mint or basil, so I filled up a vase with dirt and now I have thyme, rosemary and parsley growing. I'm now waiting for other plants people might give me. *hint hint*



I had some time this afternoon, so I decided to try to knit a sleeve for my new mug. Huh. No. I dropped it after three lines because I got sleepy. That's how lousy my concentration ability is these days. I'm like a fly, looking — OH SPARKLY STUFF.





I think I bought this book when I was in my first years of college. I remember skimming through it, but today I actually sat and read it. It's lovely. Of course, completely outdated and almost whimsical at times. But still cute.




I have a thing for tea. Especially if it's in a pretty mug with a pretty filter. This is cinnamon tea, one of my favorites. All I was missing was a mint leaf, but I guess I'll have those soon enough. 



Have a blessed rest of week! I hope your Autumn days are filled with beauty and wonder. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

behind the scenes of [tangled up in beauty]

When I started to use this blog more often, I challenged myself to post more behind the scenes shots, from my more elaborate shoots. sadly, I haven't been able to do much of that; either because I'm busy or because I shoot in a hurry (this start of project has been bumpy, to say the least), I hadn't had the chance to do it yet. Well, here is the first BTS of this 52 Stories Project. I hope you like the photos; let me know what you think, whether you have any suggestions of how I can improve my work. I've been in a funk for a little while and I can't wait to get out of it.


More pictures under the cut!


Friday, October 12, 2012

tangled up in beauty


Story 4/52

tangled up in beauty
She liked to get tangled up in lace.
It gave her the feeling of being wrapped up in a warm embrace of pink and fabric and the smell of softener. Ever since she was little, she liked to hide in the linnen closet.
So she did that, still. She hanged lace from the ceiling and played with it when she could; tangling it up, wrapping it around herself and marveling at how bright it looked against her skin, stained by the red of her lips.
It was of a beauty she could not contain or explain.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

photomaton (or the way a city changes you)



Every time I go out on a journey, I come back a little bit different. And I usually do a photo shoot just to keep a memory of that change to myself. 

This time, in Berlin, I grew. I had never roamed a city alone, had never been on a new and strange subway, had never spent time alone in a place I didn't know as well as the back of my hand. Having a big family will do that to you: you end up always traveling with someone. Whether an aunt or a cousin or a grandparent, you're never alone. But I did all that in Berlin, and absolutely loved it. Of course, there were other things making my trip an absolute delight. Love. Laughter. A new and wondrous place. But I feel like my ability to spend time alone was what changed me the most. That, and having a pair of arms to come back to at the end of my tiny adventures in town, waiting for me just around the corner, telling me I could do it and holding my hand when I thought I couldn't. So yeah. It was a good trip. I think these pictures show exactly that. 

More pictures after the cut, if you're in the mood for some shameless and childish self promotion. I do think I have a new facebook picture, though. 


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Berlin, day three — Potsdam

Last wednesday, while all of Germany celebrated the unification day, Lina and I headed to Potsdam to visit an online friend. We got to spend the day with the wonderful Jeanne and have a blast walking through the Sanssouci Park, visiting the center of the city and shooting tiny dishes at a carnival (but that was just me!), winning prizes for my lovely.

I hope you enjoy these photos as well. I have a blast preparing them to post here, to share my good times with you; it's part of what makes my work so wonderful, that I get to tell you guys about it. Thank you so much for continuously visiting, commenting and talking to me. It makes my days so much brighter.

Anyway. Enough sap, here are the photos!






Trip to Potsdam beyond the cut! 

Berlin, day two

Now that I'm back, I finally have the time to edit and post all the photos I took in the wonderful Berlin. I had time there, too, but let's face it, guys. I was out in a new town, having the time of my life with my favorite person and... yeah. I'm posting now.

Berlin was such a huge adventure for me. I had never traveled that far alone, and being afraid of flying, it wasn't easy. But it was oh-so worthy. My time there was amazing. I wandered around town while Lina was in class, by myself, and felt like such a badass (shush, I'd never done that). It felt scary, at times. But so very exciting. I loved the city and I loved the people. I hope you can see that through my photos.



while Lina was in class, I spent a morning having Starbucks coffee (yay!) and walking around town. Can you see the air balloon? It's so amazing! I didn't have the guts to go up there, but it's so gorgeous from afar!

More under the cut!

Friday, October 5, 2012

and as she travels, the world turns faster


Story 3/52
----
and as she travels, the world turns faster
it's a frightening feeling, that of the traveler who has never wandered, never found herself walking aimlessly through the veins of a town she hasn't known. It's exhilerating. It's got the same brand of excitement as the newfound love, the wonder of loneliness and company altogether, mixing with the strange fear and the cold in the pit of her stomach. She has never walked alone and now she is, and she's so brave for it, isn't she? She, the one for whom everything is just a little harder, just a little brighter, just did it on her own, and now she's happy. And terrified, but that's a good thing.
It means she's taken a step forward.
----
This photo was delayed due to my trip to Berlin (where I still am, having a wonderful time!). I spent all day stressing about not having taken a pic of the week, when my darling stopped me at an old train station and said 'Hey, you wanna take your picture here?'. It was only then I looked around and it was just the perfect location. She served as my human tripod and I owe a great part of this photo to her.


Monday, October 1, 2012

At last I'm here (aka, blogging from Berlin!)

Hello, my darlings!

I am so sorry for my absence in the past week; I had several problems throughout the whole time, culminating with the death of my beloved computer, last Wednesday. My poor Mac was much too old, and with a small bang of my cell against it (I dropped the phone when I had the laptop in my lap) it died. As did all my info. Luckily, I have a good friend who happens to be a computer wiz and he's working on recovering my data.

To make things better, though, I am in Berlin! I'm with my favorite person in the world and so far I'm having a wonderful, wonderful time. I thought I'd share some of my pictures of day one with you, what do you think?


Monday, September 24, 2012

turning twenty-six; a birthday post

A couple of days ago, on September 22, I celebrated my 26th birthday. 

I had a wonderful day; I was lucky enough to have my family around me, my love and my friends as a part of my day. I enjoyed it thoroughly; cooking and photographing, eating with my people and smiling so much it made my cheeks hurt. Especially with my darling. I also caved and bought myself the VSCO Film 01 set; it was a birthday present to myself and these photos were edited with it, although with a little bit of tweaking from my part. 

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all who visit my blog. You are unbelievable, with your support and taking time off your days to look at what I do. You make my life wonderful, too, and I hope you all know that!

Alright, enough talk. Bring on the photos! 


Friday, September 21, 2012

the apple pickers


The Apple Pickers


it starts with the fall, the way the applies redden on the tree branches, invading the entire orchard tenaciously.  There were rows of apple trees, of peach trees, cherries and pears. But the apples were the most important of all the land — plump and juicy, they were known to make the best apple jams and pies in the state. 

The twins rose early on harvest days. Their usual sleepiness disappeared as soon as their parents started to call their workers to the Orchard, the metallic bell resounding through the entire plantation. They picked their baskets and ran across the fields: his hand holding his hat in place as she released her braids from the morning confinement of the bonnet, leaving the scrap of fabric between blueberry bushes and the strawberry field. The smiles lit up their faces; the summer had turned to fall and suddenly everything made sense again, the warmth of the clothing, the commotion and the action of making jam and pie and spending days secluded in the kitchen, surrounded by their helpers. 

The songs of the helpers filled the air as they worked. The twins were a stark contrast to their dark skins, and yet, that was the place where they felt more included. They could sing and dance, they could jump and laugh and cry and no one would shut them up; there would be no punishment, no going to bed without dessert. The helpers? They knew what it was like to be without food. They wouldn't take it from them. It had been that way ever since they were children.

Eldora was their nanny, growing up. Replacing the figure of the grandmother that was too busy entertaining guests, she would sit them on each of her legs, hold them close until they were both asleep. They didn't talk much; they didn't need to, with her. She knew what they needed even they couldn't put it into words. 

They stopped as they reached the Orchard, their eyes following the trail of dark skinned people taking stairs, holding up baskets, singing songs of love and longing. And mourning. They were singing a song of mourning for Eldora, and the twins sat on the fence while the men and women gathered in a circle, placing their baskets in the middle. 

The boy threw an apple in the air while they stared, his concentration showing in the way he always caught it, always threw it at the same height. The girl twisted her braid between her fingers, a sign of nervousness. She should be in nursing school and he should be helping Daddy with the sales, at the office: but there they were, the clothes from when they were young teenagers only half-fitting, the hat and the checkered shirts and the skirt too short. And they were exactly where they wanted to be.

they stood still, eyes glued to the spectacle before them. There were colors and music and the smell of apples in the air. 

The servants danced now, a young girl they knew as Ginny singing a song of magic and love and the sacred land of God. And with that song in mind, they picked up their baskets and moved to help.

-------

Story 1/52

Welcome to my new weekly project, 52 Stories. Don't forget to this blog or Flickr to see the photos and stories posted every Friday afternoon! 

I hope you like the project and that you follow it as enthusiastically as I am making it. These projects are nothing without your words, your opinions and your encouragement, so don't be shy! Talk to me!


iphone specials: sept 13 — 20



[more under the cut]