Best of College Photography 2009

Monday evening, I got home after battling with my Black & White prints (btw, they look good!) to find a letter in my mailbox from a unknown publisher. I started reading...and reading...It was about a contest I entered. And then, there they were : We are pleased to inform you...

Don't get to excited...yet. I'm just a finalist!!! But I'm thrilled and doing the Happy Dance!!! Why? Because the finalists get to be part of the Best of College Photography 2009 book. Hello?!? My first photo in an official publication! Wow!

This letter came in a time that I was feeling kind of blue, being away of my hubby, trying to finish this adventure, not knowing what the future will bring in an economy crisis. This was a sweet ray of sunshine, to lift my spirit...to keep on going! I'm SO HAPPY!

The book is coming out in June 2009, so we'll see!!!

Oh, I almost forgot...here is the photo!

A new Beginning!!

A new year, a new beginning...

Let me see where I can start...

1) September 2008 - I arrived well to Atlanta after winning a race against 4 hurricanes threatening the Island. I went with a sense of happiness, knowing that when I came back....I was going to marry my best friend. Enough motivation for 10 weeks.

2) October 2008 - I got to know better a great family, The Mayers. Bill Mayer is an illustrator living in Decatur, GA (just 20min from Atl) and he happens to be Goñi's boss. He and his wife Lee (and Jason, Leesa, Forest, Zach and Dash) are very welcoming and cool people to be around. They even helped me with my protraiture project!



3) November 2008 - After 10 stressfull weeks between wedding and Portraiture class, I ended the quarter with 3 A's. NOT BAD!!! :D

4) DECEMBER 20th, 2008! - I married MY BEST FRIEND! It was a great day. It started with an almost no pastor and no car, but thank God everything went well and we are married...



Now, I'm back again @ ATL without my hubby for now but looking forward to move with him to FL...For now, lets concentrate on finish this quarter and get my thesis going...

Hurricane Season!

I'm supposed to go back to Atlanta on September 8th, but with this sight....What do you think?

The Chronicle of Unannounced Delay

May 30, 2008 is a date I'll definitely never forget. It was the day I experience the incompetence of people and bed communication at it's maximum power. I woke up early to finished some stuff I need to get ready before leaving. I'm going home for 3 months and as OCD that I can be I needed everything. I arrived to the airport 2 hours before departure time. If you been in Atlanta Airport in a Friday you now it could get very nasty and if you add a "cheap" airline you need the 2 hours. After having to take my Nikon out of the carry on for the first time since I bought, I got to the gate an hour before my time. I decided to buy some coffee and play a little bit. The first thing I notice after getting 100,000 points in my online game, was that the departure time changed from 4:50 to 5:10pm. "It's not that bad...only less time to enjoy my dinner when I get to Ft Lauderdale" I thought. I started playing with my computer when I noticed that now the flight was 5:39pm instead of 5:10pm. A new hour and no Spirit employee nearby to explain. When she finally arrived, I went to make the line and asked how about my connection flight. The girl in front of me was in the same situation than me...so I kind of ear dropped at her conversation with the counter girl. She said that we'll make it to our connection flight. I was a little more relax and wait for the time.

I should've notice that once something starts to screw up it could generate a snowball of screw balls. The departure time arrived, and the mess began. The didn't call by zone and everybody started to enter at the same time. It was 5:45pm and I was placing my carry-on in the compartment. Families were split up when they book together and the flights attendants were trying to make everybody happy. I ended up in the window seat although I didn't pay the $15 the web page told me for selecting my seat. I'm sorry for the ones that did and ended up in other seats. Projected departure time: 4:50pm Actual: 6:15pm.

Getting to Ft. Lauderdale was chapter 2 of this drama. We landed near the gate I was supposed to take but had to wait 40 minutes to the next available gate to "park". I saw my plane came by the gate, and I knew I was no near to exit the plane. I got off and ran towards my GATE F2. I stopped one of the Spirit Personnel to ask about my flight. Two men told me that I was on time. Exiting the Spirit Terminal to my gate, another surprise! In Ft. Lauderdale Airport you have to pass a security check to change areas. Ridiculous, I know! Like I needed more obstacles. I was starting to strip of all my things to pass security when one of the girls from my flight recognized me and stopped me: "We missed it!". "What?!" So, running again this time to the line to change the flight. Two hours passed without moving, my new friend in line was more impatiente than me and kept moving and asking. We found out that there weren't any more flight that night and the next one was @7am without any guarantee that we will be booked for that one. Tired, hungry and very pissed...We decided to drive to Tampa. Only 4 hours. It was already 11pm.

That's how I went on a Road trip with two strangers from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa. I never thought I would have the courage to make that decision. After 4 hours, one coffee, one bathroom stop and several conversations. I arrived to Tampa...to the beautiful sight of my fiance and his family waiting for me. As soon as I saw him I hugged him for like 5 min...I was so glad to be in his arms again.

Amanecer Borincano

I apologize for the people who read this blog and doesn't understand Spanish, but today I miss my Island, Puerto Rico and I feel the need to write in my language....

Esta cancion es una de mis favoritas y me recuerda la escencia de lo q es para mi Puerto Rico Bello. Esa escencia q a veces olvidamos cuando estamos alla pero la tratamos de mantener viva cuando nos vamos del pais. No envalde, no dejan votar a los puertorriqueno en EEUU. Hubieramos sido independientes hace rato. Para todos los Puertorros q estamos extrañando a nuestra islita...Disfruten el video!

Autor: Alberto Carrion

Soy la luz de la mañana
que alumbra nuevos caminos,
Que va inundando los montes,
los senderos campesinos.
Soy el fruto del futuro,
la semilla del mañana,
Sembrada en estiércol
puro de mi tierra borincana.
Soy un pescador de sueños,
voy buscando un mar de espumas,
de caracolas y arenas,
de sirenas y de lunas,
de estrellas y de horizontes
se compone mi fortuna,
soy gaviota navegante y astronauta de la bruma.

Soy del pan la levadura
que alimenta la esperanza
del hombre puertorriqueño,
del despertar de mi patria.
Traigo sangre borinqueña,
soy hijo de la palmera,
de los campos y los ríos
y del cantar del coqui,
de valles y cafetales, de caña, azúcar y piña,
de guayaba y mampostéales,
de tembleque y de mavi.

Te llevo en mis oraciones, mi isla querida, en especial en estos momento dificiles.

The end of a woozy quarter...

I finally finished my quarter. This one treated me harsh but I survived it. I spent most of the time in a darkroom, inhaling chemicals and trying to fight a perfect print ( which for me it't like going in the quest for the Holy Grail). I'll get it someday. After two weeks of intense "darkrooming", chemicals and papers, spring break is HERE. Finally having all this time to sleep and catch up in my movies and Wii games. So I think I'm partially recharged for my Spring quarter.

Tomorrow, my fiance is coming to town...

In search of a Muse...

Here in SCAD, we are at 2 weeks from ending this quarter. So, it's the inevitable time to think about final projects. I have to undergrad class this quarter (pre-requisites) and they are getting into me. I thought I had everything set for the final, but everything is turning against me at the last moment. I had so many ideas running in my head, and yet I can't concentrate in a GOOD one. I need a little muse...

How you translate what it's in your head, into a photograph? How do speak the language of your imagination and put it on paper? A very good challenge...

But, I'm not afraid. This is what I chose. This is what I Love...