Surprisingly lovely

We haven't talked about photography enough lately. To kick things off I thought an earth-shattering confession, the kind that will shock each and every one of you, was appropriate (we just haven't had enough of these, have we?). I, Margaret A, bought a Crumpler bag for all my photog gear.

Did I just hear a massive, not to mention collective, sigh of relief? Cuz anyone that's been reading these here parts longer than a week knows I've been lusting after one of these foooorrrrrr freeeeaginnnnn' evvverrrr. Well folks.... today officially marks the end of my incessant whining lusting. My new Crumpler is red, BRIGHT RED!, with a pretty white Crumpler logo and light blue lining. Oh boy oh boy oh boy does it make me happy to have an appropriately stylish and sassy home for all The Gear. My camera already takes better photos, I'm pretty sure.

All hail the Crumpler!

I'll get around to posting some photos of it on the photoblog at some point, of course.

The other thing I wanted to briefly touch on was the incredible good-fortune that fell in my lap one week ago today. Many, many thanks and praises to my friend Jaime for the studio lights now taking up residence in my living room. In a weird and serendipitous turn of events, 2 lights, stands, umbrellas, and control center capable of annihilating several third-world countries, SIMULTANEOUSLY!, have joined my ever-growing collection of geek stuff. What can I say? She didn't think I had enough geeky stuff. (Ha ha ha ha anyone buy that last part? Um, yeah. Thought so.)

Now that I have me some real lighting capable of getting me some real portraits, all my energy has been spent figuring out how many different ways I can use my new-found power for evil, only evil (and if I can blow some stuff up too? Then bust my buttons and color me pleased.). I somehow convinced Shea to come over last week for a few portraits that turned out just peachy. Check out this shot, but check out this shot too for a little slice of curl in the key of stunning. What's even more amazing was that I took these AFTER we stuffed our faces with Pizza Luce. Ha ha ha ha yummmmm. Don't look at me like that - we had priorities!

Last night also marked an end to my self-imposed ban on self-portraiture. In recent months I've become totally obsessed with high-key lighting and kittens. Seriously, I'm just starting to catch up with everyone else and wonder what's wrong with me - why can't I shake the affair I'm having with high-key? It's just so endlessly beautiful and satisfying and lovely and refreshing and... and... and...

Anyway. Last night I posted the first in a series of high-key self-portraits that turned out just swell. Gosh taking these was fun. Soooo much fun. In this shot I was going for the, It's Sunday Morning and I Just Rolled Out of Bed and Into This Beautiful Morning Light Looking Surprisingly Refreshed and Naturally Lovely With Absolutely No Effort At All Whatsoever™, look. After preparing a few more shots in this series that will go up the next few days, I'm thinking about calling this the Many Moods of Miss Margaret collection. Stay tuned for the photograph in which I lose all my shit, the photograph in which I'm recursively photographing myself, the photograph in which I actually made myself cry (ha ha ha no, but that'd be funny, no?), and the triptych photograph in which I'm laughing at something witty and clever coming out of the mouth of Julian McMahon early on a Sunday morning over coffee and kittens.