Photographer, interrupted

© Joselito Briones

Photo, above, are wild flowers that simply refused to be contained by the fence, in a construction site.

I wanted to go to Milan today, for the weekend. It was mainly to test the theory that Germany being central enough in Europe, one can just hop in on a bus and go to any major European city. Almost got away with it too, no advanced booking, no advanced planning. How far did I get? Nuernberg. I'd have made it to Milan too, had I left the apartment an hour earlier. By the time I got to the bus station, the ticketing office was closing in five minutes, and they had no more bus connections from Nuernberg to Munich, where the bus going to Milan is originating.

I could also have bought a bus ticket from Munich to Milan and just take the train to Munich, but I didn't have the train schedule with me, and there was no time to check before the bus ticketing office closes. So in theory, I could've also made it if I left the apartment only five minutes earlier, and took the time to get the train schedule from the Nuernberg Hauptbahnhof for trains going to Munich.

Oh well, next time. At least I didn't bother to unpack (there wasn't much to pack to begin with), just in case.


XXX

Say Ahhhhh

© Joselito Briones

I went to the dentist this morning to have my teeth cleaned... I like this one because everybody here's friendly, it's a 10-minute walk from the apartment, and everybody here speaks English... only drawback is that my dentist reeks of cigarette smoke... not the smell of smoke on someone who enjoys lighting up occasionally, but more like someone who has to smoke every half an hour at least...

Picture on the left belongs to the "Everywhere Objects" series. These weeds are literally everywhere, and they're all wilted now, but in spring they're really pretty.


XXX

Let there be light

© Joselito Briones

It looks like we're gonna go ahead with our small lighting-above-dining-table project after all... I stayed late last night trying to configure in AutoCAD a random-look in hanging the paper lamps without them bumping into each other (we have 27 of them in different sizes).

Of course I could've just waited until the frame is ready and adjust and cut the cables while they're installed, but that would leave too many unknowns. Like, what total length of electric cable is needed, would they constantly need readjusting so they won't bump into each other (the 3d simulation is not realistic image-wise, but accurate geometry-wise), etc.

Photo above, random weeds I pass by while walking around, belongs to the "Everywhere Objects" series.


XXX

Dreaming of Tweety

© Joselito Briones

An image from the Amsterdam series, this is a close crop of the same kitty in the other kitty picture.

Am beginning to doubt my ability to gauge the likeability factor (or lack thereof) of my photographs, because this one was just salvaged from a photo taken when the cat decided to not cooperate anymore and closed its eyes, but it turned out to be one of my more popular flickr photos anyway. Hmmm.... maybe there's just something inherently likeable about pets... (doh... they wouldn't be pets if they're not likeable, would they, now?)


XXX

Smokes

© Joselito Briones

Image 3 from the "Everwhere Things" series... this is a cigarette vending machine. I had to take this picture really quickly, because in order to get the whole thing in the picture, I had to stand in the middle of the street and dodge cars passing by.

Am not sure what to write with it, so I'll just put a song with it: From KD Lang's "DRAG"






Hain't It Funny?

We made love last night
Wasn't good wasn't bad
Intimate strangers made me kinda sad
Now when I woke up this morning
Coffee wasn't on
It slowly dawned on me that my baby is gone
My baby's gone

Guess I shouldn't be so shocked
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised
Guess i sorta noticed the sadness in your eyes
All this time together
And I still feel so alone
Two of us together couldn't make this house a home
My baby's gone
My baby's gone
Oh so long

Umf maybe I'm a little bit relieved
Maybe even a little bit glad
Now that you're gone maybe I won't feel so sad
So I'm packing your things and
Leaving them outside and
Neighbours can talk themselves up into a storm I'll survive
My baby's gone
My baby's gone
Oh ... so long

Did you forget something my love
I see you're back outside
Looking at your suitcases looking oh so surprised
Hain't it funny
One of life's little jokes
Thought you'd gone for good
But you'd only gone ... for smokes

(-Jane Siberry )


XXX

"Take me to your leader..."

© Joselito Briones

Second image in the "Everywhere Things" series, this is a fire hydrant hidden among weeds... I tried to keep strong highlights off to keep a heavyset volume for the whole image, and gave the greens a really cold, almost sharp tone to it.

As in any of the other pictures here, you can click on the picture to view a bigger size.


XXX

Everywhere Objects

© Joselito Briones

I've started a series of photographs of everyday objects in the neighborhood... objects that are so commonplace everybody barely notices them.

Something that one sees everywhere here in Erlangen... bicycles. This one is parked in an unmowed lawn of dandelions. More to come in this series.


XXX

How fat is that pussy in the window?

© Joselito Briones

Not very, actually. Just can't think of what to call it, and I thought it interesting that this is on the same street where they display the other kind, also in windows, under red light. One of a series of pictures from Amsterdam that I will be showing you. Be prepared to be bored.

This is my first proper animal picture, so it's special to me, plus I like that the colors are very Ingres-like, hence the flickr title, "Ingres Cat".


XXX

Another dose of red

© Joselito Briones

I know I'm sure by now you've seen plenty photos of the building where I live, but here's another one anyway. I photoshopped the sky so that it's flat and cool grey in tone to make the whole image look more like color swatches.

Got back early this morning (or late last night) from Amsterdam. That was a good trip, even the bus ride back wasn't so bad, I managed to get some sleep.

Can't wait to see how the pictures I took came out.


XXX

Amsterdam

© Joselito Briones

Found myself in a bus to Amsterdam. It's a new experience, long distance bus ride, but eventually it's just as any long distance mode of transportation. All I wanted was to get it over with and get to the destination. In a way it was more comfortable than flying, because one has the comfortable feeling of being closer to the ground, better than train because it stopped several times, and of course, compared to driving, one doesn't have to bother about finding one's way and the fatigue of driving itself, and the advantage of being able to sleep whenever one wants to. The downside, of course, is that it took a loooooooong time.

Will be seeing Wil there, and Gau and Tony after a very long time. I last saw Tony in the Philippines, about three years ago, and Gau I think when I left Hong Kong for California, six years ago. We all decided to meet up in Amsterdam this weekend, to see the Madonna "Confessions" tour.


XXX