and so it begins

sorry for the delayed post. i've been steady grindin' away on my goals for 2011. i start my new J.O.B. as a STUDIO MANAGER!!!! lucky me will be managing a photo studio here in NYC!!!! i'm super amped as this is my first office job in the arts and 2011 is all about me learning the business of it all :) tomorrow is my first day on. but that's not what been keep me busy. what's been really consuming my time is this commercial competition that's due today! everything was so last minute. the idea was conceived a week and a half ago. we shot this past tuesday which was a gong show, reshot scenes yesterday and edit and upload today. crazy i know! this is my first time behind the lens as a film maker. well in the "professional" sense and our set was far from that. definitely lessons learned and that's what life is all about. growth through adversity. ok...enough talk, back to work. here are the photos :)
storyboard courtesy of Mathias Horhager aka cousin

that would be me biting Chris' head off :)

steady on the grind

i don't have a whole lot of visually interesting things to blog about as of late. i've been: getting acquainted with Light Room 3 to help me streamline my photo editing (gotta love online tutorials), meeting up with photographers and studios in the hopes i can do this full time (very exciting and promising), reading a book on independent feature films (how insightful), brainstorming ideas for an online commercial competition (things are a brew).
oh right! i've still been hard at work on my cousins wedding photos. as a surprise gift (hopefully they don't read this) i'm putting together a press printed book. it's taken me some time to figure out layouts and size but i'm sticking to 10X10. now to decide what goes where. if you're on the look out for portfolios and the such, check out WHCC

and of course i'm been playing around with Nelly Nero's fabulous actions! click on the image to enlarge

now back to my tutorials followed by an interview!

in the words of Erykah Badu:

Every day is a struggle
How to hustle some doe
If you was raised in the hood
Well then you already know
It be days that be good
But mostly money be slow
Have you ever been hungry before?

Steady on the grind Stead on the grind
'Cause I got to make it happen
My family depending on me

Steady on the grind Steady on the grind
'Cause I got to make it happen
Ain't nobody gone do it for me

Ha ooh wa ooh ha ooh wa ooh
Ha ooh wa ooh ha ooh wa ooh

Steady on the grind
Daily on the grind
Money on my mind
So heavy on my mind So heavy on my mind

Mommy got a job makin' bout six-somethin' an hour
She became the breadwinner when daddy was unemployed
Working forty-plus hours and kissing ass
Seeming like the only honest way she can get some cash
She struggglin' - she don't know I be hustlin' pulling my own weight
I be hearing them fuss and fightin' at night mad late
Over economics; it's logic meaning they don't got it
Living in the projects, money's the only object
She makes $280 a week, standing on her feet
The ends aint even meeting - the family ain't eatin'
Cause if taxes is 10%, and the rest if for the rent
Then crime is what u get and niggaz is innocent
See it really ain't about if you eatin' or not eatin'
It's breathin' or not breathin' - freedom or not freedom
'nother day, 'nother way, 'nother dollar spent
Gotta make a revolution out of fifteen cent.

2011: Year of the Artist

2011 is all about THE YEAR OF THE ARTIST. i've been so fixated on making my home a home, which as you know was much needed and i'm still working at my j.o.b but hopefully not for much longer. with age comes wisdom and i'm realizing i Maya Washington was born to explore and have fun. i'm most sane when i'm busy investing myself in all things that inspire and move me. unlike some of my neighbours i can and am talented in many avenues and yes i need focus on the task at hand but i also need to stay true to me. while i admire those that have 1 sole calling i have many and i need to honour that. and my talents aren't necessarily so segregated: I LOVE CREATING-simple as that and whatever that involves. having said that this year will be a busy one. i'm kickin it into over drive with the following 2011 goals:

- film projects: shorts, music videos, indies
- script: research, study, interview, write
- voice demo: revamp and promote both here in NY and LA
- photography: shoot consistently whether personal or business
- educate myself on the business side of arts through work and/or self education
- demand the best of myself through full commitment to goals

i'm filled with heat and the fire is where i thrive best. enough with the playin' it safe and back into the pit i go :)

my first time!

my cousin Matt and his bride Ya Shan are officially my first wedding shoot! i was a bit nervous since i was working with new gear, never shot a wedding before, haven't done a shoot in how long?!!, was and still am sick with the flu and sheer paranoia of something going wrong. so far so good :) it helps that i bought a new 1tb hard drive and backed all their images onto DVD's...12 to be exact.
i spent my flight back and the weekend just going through all 4000 images. way too much i know! so far i'm down to 400 but i'm sure i can narrow that down to roughly 40 if not less. i have a nasty habit of thinking my shots look horrible hence the multitude of photo taking. it's not until i start editing when i actually appreciate the images taken. but i am happy with the outcome. my goal was to tell a story and i feel i did that. i'm playing around with my fav action "pink fade" by Nelly Nero. i have no idea what route i'll be going with post but this was fast and easy. Ya Shan had a very feminine, vintage elegance going on with her accessories coupled with the colours of the sand, her complexion, and Matt's suit i feel this action works wonders. nothing's set in stone but here's what i got...i'll throw in a few b&w and/or sepia eventually.
CONGRATS MATHIAS AND MY NEW COUSIN YA SHAN!!!!! And how gorgeous is Ya Shan?!!! Stunning!!!

what a way to start the new year off. LOVE!!!

holiday update

sorry for the delayed post. i've been busy celebrating the holidays in NY then getting myself down to meh-he-co!!! for Christmas i partied it up with my in-laws and feasted on the awesomeness that is Dominican cooking! i baked mini carrot cupcakes and it was my first go. of course i went to foodgawker and of course they were delicious! the ingredients called for way too much sugar so i went ahead and cut at least 2 cups out.

and yes that is some AMAZING cheese cream icing!!!!

i made 1 present this year. this person happens to have everything under the moon so i came up with the idea to turn an i ♥ ny t-shirt into a pillow. the shirt cost me $3 and the pillow was $7. oh and the zipper was $4.

this year i hooked myself up with the canon 7d!!!! i bought the beaut on amazon brand spankin' new although advertised as "used". since i saved myself $400 dollars i reinvested the funds into accessories like a mic, compact flash card and lens. i've been a nikon girl for life but this canon is just way too fun. video mode?! my life has been missing so much! i already have a few film projects underway. i think i'm in love :) and had i not forgotten my usb i would upload some sample photos. but here she is...

i'm currently writing from the resorts' eating area having breakfast. we're 2 hours behind so it's 8:30am. i'm not a fan of all-inclusives but a getaway to a beach in the midst of a snowstorm? no complaints! i'm about to head to the market to buy a poncho and soak in the sun.

in a few days time my cousin will be getting married!!! i gotta get in work mode and continue to scout locations. i'll share what i find. ttyl!

holiday home

David and i are kickin' it into over-drive. the goal is to have an invitable home come the holidays. lucky for me i have a sister-in-law who helped me battle resistance and get this wall done. thanks Rafaela!

there are 3 shades of grey up on that wall along with a dirty stain from the flood we had. i went all back everything especially since the stove loves to rickashays things onto walls

it's all about paint! look at how lovely our base cabinets are? they were rancid before!

i'm not sure how i feel about these handles. with the counter top having that annoying metal and black stripping i feel i should simplify them even more..like something skinnier. i didn't know it at the time but i'm wanting to go industrial here.

i still need to finish painting the rest of the walls a solid fresh white, get some shelving up on, and then get some large graphic artwork

but look how far we've come:

blast from the past

while in illinois me, the hubs, and grans kicked back and watched the classics, Blues Brothers and Breakfast Club. oh i love classics! and it was great watching two movies that took place in illinois in illnois :)

Bender stole the show

all you young thespians looking for monologues...peruse through the script. the writing in this movie is great.

i forgot how amazing the blues brothers is. the movies is filled with ridonkulous camera composition, over the top shots, insane extra casting, star studded cast... i druel, i druel

look at this shot! it speaks volumes! it's just stunning!

and this shot along with every other shot in this scene and in the movie is just so grand!

so many extra scenes...love it!

Aretha!

Ray Charles with a gun! hilarious

and yes that's Pee Wee Herman :) love him too

way too many funny scenes!

oh and the police car pile up! oh it's that good!

these two movies are a MUST WATCH AGAIN! amazing amazing amazing!!! and they stood the test of time