And Then It Was March!

Hello my little followers,

Sorry for not continuing my weekly updates. This past quarter really kicked my butt. Never did I imagine that my elective classes would have more homework then my actual major classes, by double! But anywho, enough complaining.. School itself has been going great. I worked out some plans with the F.A (financial aid) department and am now scheduled to make reasonable monthly payments. And, when I pay on time for six months straight, my school will pay my seventh payment! Wo0t! Not only that, but since my GPA is higher then a 3.0 I qualified for an AIS Grant! Yay! The amount of relief, joy and gratitude I felt when I realized without a doubt that I am actually going to graduate was indescribable. I still break out in a huge smile when I think about it! Can you feel it!? Cause I'm smiling right now! :-D

Now, onto other news. Since the quarter is coming to an end, and I did have two shooting classes this quarter, so I will be posting some, if not all (depends on if I deleted the files or not) on here for ya'll to see. I am super grateful to my teacher Ben Kerns because he is so awesome at teaching Photoshop that he made it seem easy. I have never felt so comfortable with that software until I took his class. Thanks Ben!

Well, it is off to work I go. Speaking of work! I know the last time I posted I was talking about how working at The Home Depot was "just a job" and "boring", but over the last six months I have come to really enjoy working there. The people are awesome, the customers for the most part are cool and since my sixth month is almost finished, I am planning on moving to a new department. Ready? Plumbing! Why? Because they really NEED help. I don't know very much about plumbing but thank god for all the training they put us through. Besides, I'm pretty sure my DSOD (department supervisor) will be able to teach me as I go. OK. Now it's off to work I go :-)

Take care my loveys, stay healthy and be cheerful!
~Bean

Thursday, Week 3

So today marks the end of week three here at The Art Institute of Seattle. An update from last time, I dropped my analytical writing class in favor of a much more exciting class, World Mythology! I know I posted about being so excited to get into another writing class, but after the first class I knew it wasn't the right class for me. So, instead of taking a writing class that I would potentially get a bad grade (C or less!) I switched to a more entertaining class. I have to say, it was most definitely the right choice. Not only will I be able to pass this class with flying colors, but now I will be able to get into Creative Writing next quarter, which is the class I wanted in the first place! *sigh* Man it feels great to be in school again! Oh...and LOVING it for...mmm... the first time EVER!

So, you may be wondering where all the pictures are. Well, I am currently typing this through my iPod, so no pictures. But, I have the next two days off work and school (oh ma Gawd, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself!) so I should be able to get something up within that time. Be patient, my loves; you all know how I operate ;-)

So without further adu, I bid you good night and a beautiful morning! Take care and stay healthy! Mucho love-o!

~Bean

Back In The Grind

Well, we are officially back at it! Today starts the first day of Winter 2013 quarter here at the Art Institute. My class today doesn't start until 5:45pm!! Ah, but it is going to be a fun class, I think. My schedule is as follows: Monday - Analytical Writing from 5:45 - 9:45 pm. Tuesday - Art History from 8a - 12pm, then Digital Illustration from 12:30 - 4:30pm. Lastly, Thursday I have Portraiture from 8a - 12pm. And for some reason I have a death wish ofDeath by Lack of Sleep because I told my work my schedule and allowed them to schedule me for almost 30+ hours a week. Aaaggghh...but..you gotta do whatcha gotta do! (Ps..I love that auto-correct recognizes "gotta" and "whatcha")

So, I know I said something in my last post about random pictures, but I haven't posted in over three weeks. So, here are some photos from Christmas at Allison's :-)

I should also let you know I'm posting from Jared and my new iPad that we got from his generous bosses as a Christmas gift :-) That being said, I'm not sure how the lay out of pictures and text is going to look. If I don't like the way things turn out I may just try and post using the digital dark-room computers instead. Or at least when pictures are involved. So, I hope this is a sufficient update. Again, I'm going to try to be more consistent with my posts and uploads of pictures throughout the quarter. I only have one shooting class, so I don't know how often I'll be posting pictures, but I'll let you know!

Take care for now and until the next time, stay healthy! Much love <3
~~Bean

A Time For Relaxation

Pheeww!! Fall 2012 Quarter is officially over! My GPA is still above 3.10. I got a B+ in History of Photography and Photojournalism, an A- in my Nutritional Science class and a C+ in my Advanced Lighting. I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself.

Here is my final for Adv. Lighting

I'm not sure how to add a Power Point here, so I can't share my History Final, nor am I allowed to share my Photojournalism final due to confidentiality agreement between the home owner and myself. 

So, for the next few weeks, I will not be posting pictures of assignments, but probably random things I've taken pictures of around the house, neighborhood and Woodinville in general. Until then, enjoy your surfing of the internet, and I will get back on here soon!

Much love and healthy wishes to all!

~Bean

Updates, updates & updates!!

Well hello again! It has been less then a month this time. Hah :-) I'd like to thank my mom, Beverly, for being on me constantly to get a new post up. That really has helped me to remember to post something, even if it isn't pictures.

Update one:
I have my four classes scheduled for the Winter 2013 quarter and they are as follows; Analytical Writing, Art History I, Digital Illustration II (which is going to be super tough since I suck hard-core at Photoshop), and Portraiture. I'm looking forward to these classes non-the-less, mainly because it's another step closer to graduation. I am REALLY looking forward to my analytical writing class! I aced my English Comp class, which got me into writing again, so I'm hoping this class will further my desire to write and help me to get better at it.

Update two:
Since this quarter is about one week and a half away from being finished, that means FINALS! EEK! I have decided to try and persuade my Photojournalism teacher to allow me to do two photo essays. Hopefully I will be able to get some sort of extra credit for one of them. If not, then whatever! They will both rock, and I will at least be able to post pictures of one of them. The other, not so much. As a matter of fact, I need to draw up a contract between my teacher, myself and the owner of the house I am to use in one of my essays stating that the pictures I take will be for educational purposes ONLY! They may not be posted on the internet, in a magazine or printed anywhere, anytime! (If you live in WA, we could do a drive by and I could show you the exterior, at least).

Update three:
I am still healthy and alive, loving school and life. Remarkable! But, I do need to get back into doing Yoga because I have been noticing my moods are delving into the realm of dark, and I don't like that feeling. I am convinced it is due to the stress of trying to get awesome grades in school while struggling to pay my bills semi-on-time. I'm thinking, with my tax return this year, I may invest in a form of reliable transportation again. It's going to be tricky, but I think if I have a car again, I'll be able to get a second job. We shall see!

So, there you have it. No photos this week, but next week there should be some, and if not next week then definitely the week after. I will be out of school and have all my finals done, graded and ready to share (minus the one previously mentioned). Thanks for stopping by, friends! I love you.

Take care and stay healthy!
~~Bean

Accumulation of the Last Six Months!

Fair Warning: This post may end up being super long. If you don't have time to read, then scroll down to see the pictures of work I have been doing throughout this quarter of school. Thanks <3

Well now, It has been that long, hasn't it. So, I suppose I should tell you much has changed in the last six months. The biggest change, is getting back into school. I sold my car ( :-( ) and used some of that money to pay for this quarter at the Art Institute. The second biggest change, and possible a dumb one, is I quit my job at McLeod Construction and ended up getting a job at The Home Depot. My motivation to get hired at THD was mainly because I thought they had an employee discount. Why not work at the place you will be buying all the material to fix your house up with, huh? Well, turns out, they have no such incentive. I've been there for the past two months, and literally, there is NO incentive to work for this company other then to have a job. Oh well, I am grateful that I have a job. Now that I don't have a car, I don't think I can work for McLeod even if I wanted to.

On to a much more happier subject. I am not miserable, just poor. For now. But what student isn't? I am thoroughly enjoying my classes this quarter. I was disappointed to learn one of my favorite teachers from my last quarter here was let go. I wish him luck in his future. He was an amazing teacher and I'm glad that I still have all the notes from his class. They certainly will come in handy in the years to come. This quarter I am in Photojournalism, Advanced Lighting, History of Photography and Nutritional Science. So far, everything is going great and they can only get better. At least three out of my four classes are pushing me in ways that I don't normally go. Which ways are that, you might be wondering? Well, I am not one to stand up and speak in front of a class, for one. Two, I don't normally go up to random people and ask, "Hey! Can I take your picture? It's for one of my classes". I used to think I was out going, until I actually had to do stuff like this. Fortunately for me, I am doing it and the more I do it, the easier it is getting.

So on to the juicy stuff! I am going to put some images up from my photo-jo class as well as my lighting. Just to let you know ahead of time, though some of these photos may look good to you (i.e., my lighting ones) I am going to let you in on a secret. I had to reshoot EVERY single one of them. *sigh* It's a good thing I no longer have a car and have to get up with Jared. I end up having to spend my entire day here in Seattle! So, on with the pictures!

This is from my Black on Black shoot. Requirements: Photoshop RGB values MUST read 0,0,0.  Successful after the 3rd ReShoot!

This is from my Watch shoot. Requirements: Watch face must be completely lit with no signs of the camera or light box. Successful after the 2nd shoot. A little side note, when I printed this picture my teacher gave me lots of praise :-D

This is from my Flatware shoot. Requirements: The face of the fork must be completely lit, with no black areas on fork or tines. Also, the set up MUST fit a layout EXACTLY. Success has not been achieved yet as I have not had a reshoot for this assignment yet.

The Main building for the Guided Tour through Chateau St. Michelle.
This series was taken for my photojournalism class.

It's Christmas time at Chateau St. Michelle!

Me, holding my wine to the light to inspect it's clarity.
Gram, you would thoroughly enjoy this one.  

A fellow tourist, posing for me for my assignment.
Thank you, Lady. I wish I had gotten your name.

This is the Riesling and an unsuspecting tourist. This image was selected to be in my class magazine, "This Week Magazine"

Again, another unsuspecting tourist. Although, he did look at me. My teacher liked this shot, but my editors did not.

These three ladies were on the tour with Jared, Jade and I. The little ol' lady was super sweet. We chatted for a little while and her companions and I exchanged quick words before they wondered away.

THIS is a new release. Unfortunately, at the end of our tour, they were closing down. Fortunately enough for me though, as a tasting of this particular wine cost $20! A bottle, if I remember correctly, cost over $100.

Design shot. I moved the sign so I could get a better shot. 

I asked these gentlemen if I could photograph them as they walked around the display. They agreed, but I was expecting more action. Ah well.

This was our tour guide. Crazy enough, this woman grew up in Welsley, MA!

Two slaves from oak barrels. The one on the left is American Oak, a barrel runs for $500. The stave on the right is French Oak and runs for $1,000.  

This is where we found out that at Chateau St. Michelle, the only wine they produce is their Chardonnay. 

Here she is telling us where the grapes are grown, and at which wineries Chateau St. Michelle's wines come from.

Time to taste the rewards!

Air-ration: the process of swirling the wine to let the oxygen back into it. This will allow you to smell the pungency of the wine. 

So, there you have it. I will probably post a little later because two of my photos could not be uploaded since they were too big. Right now, I must get going. It's studio time! Hopefully I will be able to post more often, since I will be spending a substantial amount of "free" time at school. We no longer have internet at the house, so I will be relying solely on the AIS connection to the outside world. Although, If I take my computer to Starbucks and buy a coffee, I could syphon off their free wi-fi as well. Either way, I am going to make a seriously hard effort to start posting more often. At least, I will try not to let six months pass before I post again.

For now, take care of each other! I love you all!
-Bean

Just an Ordinary Sunday.

Hey all! Just thought I'd post an update on my status of life :-)  The month of June has flown by super fast! I know there were some Burpdays this month that I missed; Sandy, Riley, John, Jeff and probably more, but Happy Burpday June babies! Wish I could have been with you to celebrate.

So it is only a week until we leave for Utah to visit the other half of the Buist family. I'm excited to see everyone again and excited to be in warm, sunny weather! Although, while I'm typing this it is warm and sunny outside here in Seattle. Hah.

On another note, my little sister is coming to stay with me for 3 or 4 weeks this summer!! I can not properly express how super duper excited I am that my mom and her dad actually said YES!! Needless to say, it's a lot. My fear of being 40' in the air on scaffolding swaying in the breeze didn't stop me from doing my excited, victory dance when I found out :-) So far, the second bedroom (which Jilly will be staying in) has had one of a few cleanings. We took one of the three shelves up to my M-i-L's cabin, as well as some of the stuff on them. Other things were re-worked to fit onto the shelves of the bookcases in the living room and the kitchen. Now that I've been writing about it, I think I'm going to get back in there and organize some more things to make more room.

Ok, I'm off to do something other then sitting on the couch, watching the Sox dominate the Braves ;-) and playing on the computer. Until the next time, stay healthy and beautiful!

-Bean