HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY WAYNE

alright, i can admit it is a bit weird that i'm making noise about someone's birthday who probably doesn't care about me...but oh well.  this is my childhood idol.  i lived in edmonton during the "dynasty years", when the oilers laid waste to the entire league and won cup after cup and fielded one of the best teams night after night.  coffey, kurri, messier, fuhr, lowe....and that's just to name a few.  i'll add gregg, semenko, moog, anderson, tikkanen, lumley and fogolin to the list just to pay them their due.  and as a child, these were my heroes...the athletes i looked up to and knew every statistic about the them and the team inside and out.  i remember my dad taking me downtown on jasper ave to celebrate the '85 cup parade because back then, that stuff mattered to me.

and the whole thing was led by the man who probably could have ran for prime minister and won during the 80's.  the Great One - so aptly named because he was simply that. after this many years, i can say with absolute certainty that wayne gretzky is the single reason why i enjoy sports to this day and the reason why i am still passionate about a struggling (yet hopeful) oilers franchise.

imagine my excitement then, when i went to santa monica this past december to watch the chevron world challenge hosted by tiger woods.  now i'm not so much of an idol worshipper anymore, but i knew that seeing tiger woods and getting to see my favorite golfer (graeme mcdowell) play in the same tournament would be a worthwhile bucket list item.  BUT...there was an absolute surprise for me when i found out that wayne gretzky was playing the wednesday pro-am.  WHAT?!?!?  i literally found this out while i was on the course and met up with a group of canadians who mentioned that the best hockey player to ever live was swinging the sticks on the course and signing autographs.

i ran to the next hole where he was supposed to be and BAM!  there he was in all his awesome swagger.  it was surreal, but it was almost too perfect.  here was my idol, playing golf and i get to take photos.  i cannot think of a more perfect combination of my interests all in one moment (well, unless kate beckinsale, acryclic paints, a blank canvas and a 6 pack of orange fanta were in one room all at once). 

so happy 50th birthday wayne.  thanks for being a positive role model and for being just plain awesome.  seeing tiger was cool....but talking to wayne gretzky and getting an autograph is something i will never forget. 

please take a minute and enjoy my facebook album of photos from santa monica, which includes some additional images of the great one...and some boring sunset whatever photos....ww.


de jesus. out.

PORTRAIT RESEARCH

so tonight i spent a few familiar hours researching the latest and greatest in the world of photography and i must say, though there is a LOT of great information that i think is worthwhile and should share with all of you, sometimes i come across something that is so hilarious and brilliant all at once that i just have to write about it now.  tonight i focused on portraits and wanted to understand the differences on what makes a pose work and what doesn't.  how do i angle the chin, how do i compose a photo with more than one subject to look a) dramatic, b) artsy, c) standard issue?

photo courtesy: awkwardfamilyphotos.com

enter awkwardfamilyphotos.  this hidden gem impressed me so much in its simplicity and humour that i couldn't resist the opportunity to share it with all of you.  after spending a solid hour on the site, you will definitely understand the "things you shouldn't do" when taking family portraits.

imagine as you sift through these frozen pieces of comedy - these photos were either paid for or at the very least shared with family and friends.

here's an example of a photo that i particularly enjoyed.  babies are so adorable and cute.  especially when it appears like they don't want to be in the photo.  i'd love to give you a sound effect to accent the impression on the little guy (or gal), but sadly i cannot at this time....it sounds like a lot of m's, r's and various vowels.  many of you know probably know the impression i would make for this, and for those that know...you are awesome.

de jesus. out.

THE TOP 10 of 2010

Here's a rundown of the top ten things I learned this past year (in no particular order):

10. red bull is delicious. being able to down 8 in one sitting is a bit concerning, but I've acquired a nice taste for the energy drink. thankfully, during the latter part of the year i came to my senses and have realized that like a lot of awesome things, it is unhealthy for me and i only enjoy one with the occasional vodka chaser.

9. i don't like half assing anything. this might be a good thing, but it's also a bad thing. when it comes to something i'm really passionate about, i dedicate so much time to it and study it and learn it like a man possessed. so why is that bad? i'm still not an expert at anything.....yet.

8. without bad luck, there would be no luck at all.

7. not having a PVR would be just ridiculous. being able to rewind, pause and fast forward my way through my tv experience is just so awesome. no more queen latifah promos, more tina fey and rewinding my way to see onrait and o'toole's comedic skits again and again is priceless. if only we could PVR our way through life...and if only I could be an up and coming architect married to kate beckinsale and on a random night i went to bed bath and beyond and met with christopher walken...

6. you can't take the simple joys in life for granted. i've been fortunate enough to see and do some great things this year, but i seem to remember the simpler moments a lot more. playing toy cars with a 4 year old for an evening brought me more joy than spending an evening in a fancy restaurant in a new city. talking with a close friend helped me reset myself better than spending money on myself for "retail therapy". golfing with buddies at a muni course here at home is way better than golfing by myself at a destination PGA course somewhere else.

5. speaking of retail therapy, i'm an apple whore. no doubt about it anymore. powerbook, imac, iphone4, appleTV, fuji and gala. there is no such thing as a bad apple. ipad, you are next.

4. i have replaced my love of carbs (white rice) for another form: noodles. pad thai noodles, vietnamese noodles, soup noodles...now if only i can replace these with a love for beans and legumes, i might be alright.

3. missing something can make you feel just as alive as enjoying it - it's just a different kind.

2. i'm tech-spoiled. having fast and readily available wi-fi means more to me than having breakfast. i like having information and all my digital "stuff" at my fingertips all the time, 24/7 wherever I am in the world (see 5). but i try to balance that "spoiled-ness" by willingly taking public transit to work. ugh - public transit...dennis dislikes this.

1. my photography has gotten better as the year wore on. it's definitely far from perfect, but i have learned a lot about technique, emotion and how to take more compelling images from my experiences in 2010. i guess practice doesn't make perfect, but it does help get you closer. Maybe You Like Closer?



de jesus 2010. out.