Darn! "A" lens came...

Darn! "A" lens came...

It came but it is the wrong one!  I ordered the 35mm and got the 50mm by mistake…  ahhh man!  I sometimes hate being such a decent person!  I know I would hate it if the one I got had been used by someone else so am forcing myself not to "test" this one while I have it!  sigh!  

They were closed by the time I got it, I think mine was the last delivery of the day or something…  but man, I emailed them asking what to do…  My dream is they say "Oh, well keep that one and we will send you the right now" but of course life isn't that way…  Lol, but it is fun to dream!  

Half of me wants to test it out while I have it this weekend!  I had planned to do a short and run around outside taking pics to see how it differs from my Sony vario-Tessar one that is something like 24-70mm I think…  I forget exactly what it is…  but a zeiss lens so takes decent pics!  

Maybe what we will do is film it using my lens then when my correct one comes film it using that (it is a simple 1 scene short) and compare them that way…  The main problem I had with this lens was it is not an 'action" one so did terrible when I tried to film running through the woods for our life with it…  hehe, but should do good for this short that has it moving super slowly toward me as I type here…  

http://i.quoteaddicts.com/media/quotes/5/230545-patiently-waiting-for-you-quotes.jpg

Being good because it is the right thing to do is a part of who I am…   Lol, the boring part I often think but maybe the best part of me too…  It is not like I am never tempted since I so want to take this one and put it through it's paces!  This camera is the first 'pro' sort of one I had besides the normal point and shoot ones of 25 or so years ago…  so am sooooo soooo soooo tempted to test it and see how it differs from my one that cost me $1,000!  but I would be upset if I got this 50mm one next and thought it was brand new and someone had used it…  I mean, they might never notice, right, so why not?  Because I would hate mine to be used by someone else!  

Treating others like you want to be treated is a lesson I teach my daughters but I do sometimes wish I was more greedy!  think of all the fun I can have with that lens this weekend since I am sure I won't hear from the guy until Monday and might not get the new lens until they get this one back so could be 2 weeks before my new one arrives now…  ugh!  I hated waiting "the day" to get it, imaging adding another few weeks to that!  

But, it is important to live how you wish your daughters / others would.  


How have you been tempted lately?  confess in the comments below  :p

hugs,

~sea
  

I hate waiting…

I hate waiting…

Man, just past 6pm and I have been waiting all day for my new lens to arrive…  they have 50 minutes left to get here…  Ordered it last friday and still waiting… hate how they love to pretend Alaska is still remote…  We have 2 military bases and an international airport here in town…  not the boonies! but still act as if it were the late 1800's or something…

http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cat-waiting-window-65.jpg

But each car passing raises my hopes that "it is here!" but…  then dashes them brutally as it was just a car passing or the neighbors…

Not that it is going to change my life, it is just something so cool and will be so good for my media company to have!  Another tiny baby step for us, but going in the right direction!  

So, that horrible waiting feeling…  anticipation, irritation, anticipation…  you get the idea…  But I am sure my next post will be glowing raving about the lens… :p

until then, ugh!  :p


hugs for me definitely tonight!

~Sea

Saturday was a good day!

Saturday was a good day!

I hope everyone had as good a Saturday as I did!  Something happened that should have happened ages ago!  But it is done and I am so thrilled.  It is like being recharged, renewed, reenergized, reinvented and reincarnated almost  :p  And after all of that, it is a private matter so won't mention more about it…  

So much bad happens that I think we should take time to mention the positive things that happen, however vaguely!  :p

Ohhhh, did I mention already I am getting a new lens for my Sony A7S ii??  I am so excited!  

Here is some test footage when we were trying to stage the Soulless doll prank using my Sony A7S ii with my Sony Vario Tessar 1.4 Zeiss lens:

Here we were testing the lights and set up.  As you can see, I was testing out how some makeup looked on camera, I dont usually wear it so worried it would look bad  :p     Our lens did not like us moving much so we were trying to figure out how to film it so we could not move but do the scenes.  My DP is learning as we go and figured out the tripod thingy I was trying to show her  :p   Man, I never noticed how much I lick my lips though, yikes!  So never notice it but the girls say it must be I was nervous since I dont usually do it they say…  I sure hope that is true!

This doesn't show the stutter sort of problem we were having though.  When I went to answer the door it became super choppy!  I am so sad I never got it finished by Halloween as I wanted!  But this gives us a whole year to work on it now…  

I am excited since my new lens should come by Friday next week!  I ordered it last Friday but with the mail being closed it probably won't ship until Monday.  and with two they sent mail to Alaska it will travel to several states first so everyone can make money off of us as usual…  sorry to sound bitter but it is so annoying that they treat Anchorage, Alaska as beside the moon in terms of shipping charges!  Besides 2 military bases that I am sure get stuff mailed regularly and a major international airport, we are the main city and a crossroads to Asia!  But they act as if they need to carry the mail by foot through snowstorms or something…  bugs me to no end!  

But, the lens!  It is the Rokinon Cine DS 35mm T1.5 in Sony E mount…  It seems a good pick for a first cine lens!  i am so excited!

I plan to do a intro to my Youtube then a few of the playlists I plan to create and I have 3 shorts I plan to film as soon as I get it!  

The first is a super short one, maybe under 3 minutes total.  I need to find a new video editing program since I quit using Adobe ones.  Got so tired of their greedy money grab!  so disgusting to indigenous people, this lust for green paper!  it is ridiculous!  

The second is a sort of tech talk one…  The main problems I ran into using my new Sony A7S ii and how I fixed it!  That will most likely be under 10 minutes but I am guessing over 5.  so hard to say how it will come out!  

My third is also under 5 minutes I am guessing.  Just some quick shorts that I wanted to do first to create the mood so to speak…  the whole idea is to help launch the Bride of Sorrows (BOS) theme and create some interest for it.  Naturally I think it is awesome and unique so hope everyone else does too!  

Oh man, finally going to  happen!  been waiting an eternity for this!  Feels that way anyway! 

Dreams come true when you begin to work for them!  

Remember the Indigenous in your thoughts and/or prayers.  Hugs to all who need them and remember we are with you in spirit, when you feel low, let us renew your spirits!  

hugs,

~Sea

Yahoo Mail, you are breaking my heart…

Yahoo Mail, you are breaking my heart… 

We have been together for so long and now this:

Sorry, we were unable to proceed with your request. Please try again.

why Yahoo, why??!!  We were so perfect for each other and now…

Ahhh well, more fish in the sea and all that…

but…


I will always remember you as my first…

~Sea

Photos and editor…

Photos and editor…

We are switching form Adobe and I am searching for one I can afford for my iMac.  So, we are taking photos but not editing them yet.  Keeping busy!  tomorrow I plan to order a

Rokinon Cine DS 35mm T1.5 in Sony E mount

It is a good starter lens for filmmakers and will work good with my A7S ii !!

I plan on ordering it tomorrow, can not wait!  I just hope shipping it to Alaska does not cost as much as buying it  :p 

I plan on finding a good program that is not Adobe and for an iMac.  I hope I can find one in my price range soon!  I think there are several options so will begin searching!  

Hope everyone is doing good and not living in fear!  Remember the #indigenous in your prayers and/or thoughts!  hugs to all who need them!

hugs,

~Sea

Nice Dream

Nice Dream

Not really much to it, but it was so nice!

I was at some sort of survivalist camp, mostly white people, and not quite a hostage but not there by choice either I think…  hard to describe, think I wanted to get a story about them to help the rest of us understand them since i sure dont!  I was sort of hanging out letting them get to know me a bit before they felt they could trust me to do a good story about them… 

I was sitting in a sort of sunken living room type of spot but made in dirt with a sort of camp fire in the center.  I am wondering why i am here and then all of a sudden Slash appears!  He is wearing one of those black Harry Potter robes (we had watched #3 earlier tonight).  He was walking by so his feet were on level with my head since I was sitting in the sunken part and I was so excited to see him and it was so incredible that I grabbed the edge of his robes!  I sure hope I do not act like that if I ever do meet one of my rock star heroes!  :p   but he understood I was just excited.  

He had come there to make sure I was ok!  I was so touched, of course it was lessened by the fact he was with Meagan and Perla!  but he was happy so i was happy for him.  I kept running into him and we would hug and talk with our minds so we wouldn't be overheard saying how much we care and hope the other is ok.  

photo by meegan #cutecouple

The weird part of the dream happens now since the camp is suddenly attacked by a bunch of Sasquatch!  They are not harming the people but tearing down their tents and campfires saying they can no longer live here with their attitudes…   I was running around looking for Slash to make sure he was ok.  he found me and had been so worried for me.  It was like we knew each other in another life or something…  he hoped I would remember him and I sure wish I could have!  hehe…  but the campsite was huge and spread out over a hill and valley.

but then the weirdest part happened that made me realize it was just some sort of weird dream!  I had gotten so muddy from all the sasquatch tearing down the camps and the people throwing mud at them that I needed a bath.  Now, I can not imagine in real life that I would stop for a bath when there is fighting going on, but in the dream it made sense somehow…  But then Slash peeks in (with Perla and Meegan) telling them to leave me alone.  But Perla wants to pee and he says she has to wait until I am done and she was like 'dont worry she won't mind" and comes in to pee!  yikes!  that was when I realized I was having a weird dream and woke up…  

I had gone to bed early since I was feeling so ugh about the farce going on!!  but woke up around 2am and now it is 6am…  weirdest sleep schedule still!  

Anyway, thanks for reading my silly dream!  got to actually hug Slash and so wish I had known him in another life!  

hugs,

~Sea

@slash #guitargod #rnfnr

There is always Hope!

There is always Hope!  

Wow, just saw this pic and have to give a shout out and hugs for this!  Thank you so much, it matters!!

From the Twitter feed of Native Life

It is not always easy to find one's courage, so thank you so much for this!!  

Do not lose Hope or give in to fear!!  The world is still good and beautiful!  Remember the indigenous in  your prayers and/or thoughts!

hugs,

~Sea

The Farce is almost Over! yeah!!!

The Farce is almost Over!  yeah!!!

I am so tired of the ugly and fake western world!  If you truly want to know how America was founded then please watch a video about Standing Rock.  Peaceful indigenous having their land stolen by the insatiable greed of westerners…

And they want us to pretend it is all ok…

It is a huge slap in the face kind of insult that Trump even got this far, there is no going back from this shame!  You will have to live with it forever because our memories are long…   

When will westerners wake up and smell what they are shoveling at us??  

No, you can not live on stolen lands and pretend otherwise…

No, you can not ignore us…  Or rather, you can try but we will always be here, that beautiful ray of sunlight illuminating your ugly greedy selfish ways…  

You hear so much about dont tar us with the same brush, but are you actually at Standing Rock?  A few have gone to show support and that counts and matters!  Those who truly can't get there are showing support by doing what they can, and yes, it matters and counts!!  It will be an ugly endless cycle of stupidity until you wake up and accept the truth!

The indigenous of these lands are the only rightful rulers of it, everyone else is just a war criminal!  No matter how much you want to believe you have the right to stay, you have to accept first that it is, has been and always will be indigenous lands!

Too much was made of it, that the indigenous here are barely human or not even human so "dont count"…  Now just think about that, how ugly and wrong and stupid is that?  And that is 100% Western, it is 100% on you!   

It did not happen "once about 300 years ago" it is endless erasure of our culture, our identity, our lands and our resources!  I was so proud to watch a video by indigenous youth trying to show westerners how to "be"!  You can watch it here and let is inspire you to become a better person!

Yes, I do believe we are all "One People" but that does not mean I give you permission to live illegally on these lands and steal our "stuff"!  You can begin by trying to understand what the reality of the world actually is instead of your insulated western fairy tale!  Almost everywhere in the world people are suffering because of you, dear Westerner!  Yes, you!  Accept your part in all of this so we can finally move past that and onto healing the world!    

I love modern things, but done in such a way there is no waste or destruction of our ecosystems!  Yes, it is possible to have a computer, etc. and create it without destroying anything!  Please, let us teach you how!  If we demand it, they will do it, it is the power of $$ supply and demand.  It is how your system works, all they care about is making $$, so you need to learn from us how to use that power!  

I do believe the only benefit of this farce called 'election' is that many Westerners are waking up.  Thank you for that!  It is never too late to become 'good'…   Please remember the indigenous in your prayers and/or thoughts!!  

hugs to all who need them, remember not to live in fear, there is beauty in the world still and we will defend it!!  

hugs,

~Sea

"Ginger Juice" recipe / food photography experiment

"Ginger Juice" recipe / food photography experiment

I love playing around with my camera and seeing if we can get a decent picture while trying new stuff…  It is fun and sometimes I get halfway decent ones.  here are the best of the latest batch.  My Arri lights are so powerful that I can't really use them for up close work so was playing around with a little flashlight we have, the kind that can go on the end of a keychain to help you unlock your door.  

These black ones I just draped the black part of the 5in1 reflector set over my iMac and placed the ginger on it with nothing underneath.  

The pics are a bit dark, I suppose, but I think that is my "style" since I love how it looks…  I know it is supposed to be light and bright but I guess I prefer it this way instead…

This is bulk ginger we got at Costco, first time I saw it there so was thrilled.  We already used our dehydrator on half and will use this other half to make what we call "ginger juice"

One trick I learned was to use a spoon to peel the ginger and I find it works very well though my daughters prefer the old fashioned peelers and especially the 'finger one' that is a little square one you slide on like a ring.

The little flashlight was fun to use and on the one above we placed one behind it to try to create a glow effect.  I had trouble getting the flashlight to stay in exactly the right position though so decided to just take the pic  :p 

Here are some of the unstained boards we got for the food photography.  We plan on buying stains.  One set we will keep just the stain and the other we will do a thin layer of paint then use a cloth to take most off again.  it seems to create a pretty effect, at least from DIY videos I watched about making them yourself…

This blue and white box was from my Steve Stevens order, got a poster, t-shirt and a signed ray gun!  I love his guitar playing, one of the guitar gods for sure!!  

Ginger Juice Recipe

Big stew or spaghetti pot just over 3/4 full of water  ~our pot is a tall one for big family size and not the normal size ones.  I would suggest using just half if you only have the normal size pot.

3 or 4 juice pitchers  ~depending on the size you will need at least 3 and maybe 4 if you like it weaker.

1 orange sliced

3 Lemon Zinger tea bags

3 mandarin orange spice tea bags

2 teas spoon honey ~or a bit more if you dont like the flavor of ginger that much or it "burns" your mouth.  Add more honey to cut that burn feeling, but not so much it ruins the other flavors.  2 tea spoons should be good…

peeled and sliced ginger ~ you can use one nice fresh clump but I am using about 1/2 the amount you see above in the first pic to make it.  

Add in the ginger and let it get to boiling then add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring it to a nice boil for a few minutes then simmer it for an hour.  Let it cool on the same spot for another hour or so.  Once it is cooled enough to pour into the pitchers, strain it with the spaghetti strainer to catch all the pieces then fill each pitcher with just over halfway of the juice.  Fill the rest with water.  This concentrate is strong so you do want to dilute it a bit, I found just over half of juice then the rest water works for us.  You can pour some into a glass halfway then add water and taste to see how you like it and adjust the amount of water to suit your tastes.  

We are 5 adult woman so we can drink the juice in a week easily, but if you are single then you can try freezing the rest (though I never have) or give it to a friend.  They will love it and want your recipe!  We make it about every other month and it goes fast.  I sometimes plan on freezing some in a zip lock so we can have it each week but it goes too fast  :p   

My sister tried it and always has "tummy" issues and loved it so much she snagged the picture to take home with her!!  It is that good!  We use Lemon Zinger and Mandarin Orange spice to flavor ours but I think you can adjust it to your favorites.  The fresh orange slices really give it a yummy flavor but if you do not have one you can skip it and it will still taste good, but try to remember to buy one.  You dont need a lot of the tea bags since it simmers a longer time then usual but it is a huge pot so no bitterness and only flavor comes out.  

It is so refreshing that you will probably drink 2 glasses in a row  :p  I hope you enjoy and please do comment if you tried it with other tea flavors and let me know how it came out!  

hugs,

~Sea
#foodphotography #ginger 

Rest of the #waterislife pics…

Rest of the #waterislife pics…

Here are the rest of them, they can be found here and I will post some too:

The NODAPL support pics  


A pretty Asian tea cup that we love.  I thought the colors would look pretty against the glass balls! 

This is our Alice in Wonderland tea set.  The teapot rests on the cup for storing, a very cute set.

here is a view of the cup, kind of hard to tell the design since I wanted to capture the water inside more then the design...

This brass one is so pretty.  I really love the way it looked in this shoot!  

Below shows the setup used.  I laid down an old shower curtain then put the black planks onto it.  The planks are extras from a shelf used to hold dvd's.  The glass balls are ones I bought to craft looks for my "Unangan" inspired movie props.  At first we tried to keep the clear on one side and the blue ones on the other but as I dropped them into the cups they got mixed up and looked very pretty!  My Arri light is shining up at the ceiling and bouncing down (barn doors help to contain the light) with a white diffuser on the left side in some and the back side in others.  

I want to get into food photography and plan to make a DIY light box but have not done it yet.  I am still organizing the craft room.  This final shot is showing the bokeh the lens can do.  It can do really pretty bokeh but this angle was nt the best I guess.  It looked very pretty on the computer then it does here.  

#nodapl #waterislife  #indigenous

hugs,

~Sea

Water is Life

Water is Life

We have been waning to ty food photography and really late last night we ended up doing a photo shoot!  We wanted to do water in a glass to show support for those at Standing Rock!  

I havent made a light box yet so we just set it on the ground under an old shower curtain.  We used some black planks and added some rocks we have to make it feel more like water…

This one is trying to capture a splash.  I think if I had set my camera on a tripod it would have come out a bit better.  I will remember that for our next attempts  :p  This cup has what looks like drips so we thought it would really look pretty.  

Here we were just trying to capture a slight ripple in the water but hard to tell from the angle I guess…  But I liked how the rocks came out around it, we had clear, blue and some white plague-ish ones.

This one is a brass cup and in this pic I thought the handle was just awesome so cropped out the rest of the pic  :p  I love the colors in it, the sparkles make me smile…

This is not that same pic as above, though same cup  :p   her we tried to capture a splash again…

I have more that I took but havent edited them yet.  Just wanted to show what can happen in the spur of the moment really late at night when inspiration hits!

Support #nodapl #waterislife #indigenous

hugs,

~Sea