1984- George Orwell

1984- George Orwell

So I have finished 1984. No, I have never read it before, which is why when I was bored on lunch Monday I pulled it off the shelf. I can honestly say I don't know if I liked the book or not. In general I dislike dystopias as like horror they make me a bit upset in my stomach and they are kind of hard to read. I am a reader who lives for characters and story, and the dystopias always seem to head off on tangents. I know there are some parts about the book I disliked. Julia is one of those parts, but who is honestly surprised at that? I like that she is a mechanic, strong, smart, etc. I really dislike that she is portrayed rather sluttish. While it is never really implied in the book part of me really wonders if she wasn't in on it much earlier than Winston believes.

Ben said "One of the lessons I learned from 1984 is that words may be used as much to mislead and confuse as to express and clarify." I think this is why out of everything in the book I find the stripping of language the scariest. I know we talked about how there is the theory that something cannot be created until there is the language for it, and the reduction of language is just such a scary concept.
So no, I don't think I can say that I liked the book. But it is interesting and I am glad I read it. I think it will be one of those books that really sticks with me.

The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography - Jim Miotke

The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography - Jim Miotke

I technically finished this book Monday morning, but didn’t have a chance to really think about anything yet. There are a great many things I like about this book. It talks about technical things in a very clear format and really focuses on taking pictures instead of touching them up in photoshop. I also love the fact that the author is aware that not everyone can just drop hundreds of dollars on a digital SLR camera and lenses. I apparently did remember a lot of things from my failed attempt at photography class like aperture, ISO, the rule of thirds, etc.

However, I also read about several things I did not know or had never figured out. I actually understand EXIF data and the zoom feature now! I really need to sit down with my camera and see if I have the focus lock feature. Having control over what shows up in focus and what doesn’t is one of the big problems I had run into.

My one criticism about the book would be that the chapters on composition, line, and pattern seemed relatively small when compared to the large chapters about technical things like ISO and aperture. I would have loved to see a chapter devoted to color in composition, macro photography, angles, or just more general tips for making a picture look better.

Now I am taking a break from reading about photography to read 1984. No, I have never read 1984. It always shocks people, and while I don’t think I will particularly like it, I imagine it is still an interesting book and one worth reading.

My Mother's Flowers

Last Christmas my father got my mother a really interesting gift. (My father has never been known for his gift-giving skills.) The first of several gold dipped and preserved roses. I don't find them particularly attractive, as I am not a fan of gold, but I like how in certain angles it looks almost like stain glass and reminds me of the rose from Beauty and the Beast. This year I had the privilege of wrapping said rose and now know exactly how much they cost. (Around $50.00 per rose I think. Ouch.)

I was experimenting with the macro lens on this picture, though I am not completely happy with the results. I just don't think there was enough of a light source.

Just My Sister and Me

My sister came over from her house in Lakewood today so that we could go shopping. But first our family decided to go to Applebee's for some soup. There we discovered that my sister and I had very similar jackets. (Both were presents from mom but on different years.) I will have to try and get another picture sometimes as we get the "you guys could be twins" thing a lot, and I don't think the picture shows just how similar we can look sometimes.

As for shopping, well there wasn't that much in the store I was impressed by. I got two tops, but I spent most of my money on pajamas and underwear. I'm sorry but when things are 60% off I just can't help it. Hopefully when the season changes there will be a few more tops that are agreeable with me and I can stock up then.

Happy New Year! First Picture Post of 2008

I briefly considered taking a picture of myself as the first picture of 2008, but when I looked in the mirror I decided against it, as I know I need to take some pictures of myself later. Instead I bring a picture of my dog, Luna, and the plush frog she likes to chew on. My dog is interesting because she doesn't destroy the plush she plays with for the most part. I don't know how long the frog will survive though, as his limbs don't look horribly secure.



A really should reread my book about touching up pictures in photoshop as I can tell some things are wrong with this picture, but I did not like the quick autocolor/autocontrast fixes.