The Self-Portrait

The self-portrait usually gets a bad rep. Words like vain, egotistic and narcissism can be related.  And I would have to say that about 1/3 of my photography are self-portraits!  Yikes.

But the true definition of the self-portrait is the representation of the artist.  A representation.  There is so much creative freedom in that one word.  And there lies the complete appeal of the self-portrait.  When I was younger and used to play dolls with my sister, we would always begin a barbie story with, "Imagine that...".  The same goes with my self-portraits.  I will always imagine different scenarios and ideas that my character is going through.  It's fun and usually a good way to express my feelings and ideas.  And something so personal can only hold a deeper respect and meaning for the photographer and hopefully the viewer.

"Um, excuse me, I'm trying to take a self-portrait???"

"Really now, you're being quite rude."

"Don't be sad, we can share."

"See, this is nice."

Dress:  Plato's Closet
Tights:  Target
Cardigan:  J. Crew Outlet
Necklaces:  Thrift Store and Plato's Closet

La Dolce Vita

"We must get beyond passions, like a great work of art. In such miraculous harmony. We should love each other outside of time... detached."

-A quote from Steiner in La Dolce Vita, by Federico Fellini, 1960. 


Such a powerful movie with more told in-between the lines rather than on the screen.  I find that we are all "Marcellos" in this world- trying to find our happiness within something or someone, never fully satisfied with what we have and can do.  More more and more. It speaks of our fight with our morals and society's ever present opinion and weight of her cruel judgement.  I think that La Dolce Vita tells more on the human condition then any great story.  More than Fitzgerald's Gatsby or Dreiser's American Tragedy.  So dark but true. 

And beyond that, La Dolce Vita is a brilliant show of light and portraiture.  Watch it.  Then watch it again but this time stop and pause the movie at ANY establishing scene.  Fellini is brilliant, he'll always be!  His use of light, movement, angle and arch are so far superior that the viewer is set within a particular mood and feeling without ever knowing it.  You are instantly drawn in and held captive by Fellini's beauty.  There is so much emotion in each "portrait" shown.

Blue and Black

There are two color combinations that I never seem to match up correctly.  Brown/Black and Blue/Black.  Perhaps it's because of my father.  He works as a principal and has to wear a suit and tie everyday.  Sometimes my mother has to help pick out his clothing the night before because he can't seem to make out the subtle difference between a dark blue/brown pant and a black sock.  Like wise, I can't seem to find success with outfits. 

Lately, browns and blacks have found a perfect harmony thanks to great riding boots that seem to be on every Rochester girl alike and anything from cute black leggings and tights to dark washes of black jeans.  This also works vice-versa.  But as for blue and black?  Besides your favorite pair of comfy jeans and a nice pair of black boots, where else do you see a successful matching?

Over the weekend I went out thrift-ing again with a friend managed to pair together some items to make a surprisingly workable outfit.  Not only that, but I renewed my love of cheap costume jewelry.

Cardigan:  Gap, Gift from friend
Dress:  Thrift Store
Belt:  J. Crew Outlet
Tights and Necklace:  Plato's Closet
Boots:  Seychelles

Sunday Wash

Yesterday the BF and I made a trip out to wash his dirty car.  Now for some, washing a car in the middle of the Rochester's winter season seems a bit redundant and silly since it tends to switch between snow, sleet, slush and rain daily, but you'd be surprised to find a huge accumulation of stuck on salt and mud covering your entire vehicle.  So off to the instant wash we went. 

Maybe it's the new year but I can't help but become re-inspired to shoot more frequently during my days.  So as the wash passed through it's various stages of cleaning, I snapped some candid shots of the water trickling down the windows.  I know I sound pretty sentimental and all, but I love to rediscover such normal and mundane events that we all trudge through in life and turn them into something more grandiose.  Instead of going to get the car washed, it turned into a beautiful sequence of water patterns and light.  Silly but so true.  I think that photography can really change our feelings and ideas of what we normally know and see and turn them into something more heightened with a bigger sense of dignity and respect.

A sunny Saturday in Rochester

What a joy.  Honestly, to be able to wake up and see the sun come streaming into your bedroom?  "Sigh"  Today is a rare Rochester sunny day.  Though it is very cold and in the 'teens, I'm sure everyone doesn't mind the cold so much when they look up and saw bright blue skies.

Today is "Erin's catch up" day.  Or is that for every Saturday we come across?  Since I missed some hours at work this week, I went in today to make them up.  Afterwards, I stopped by a Target and scoured through the bargain shelves and aisles.  I was lucky enough to find some colorful tights at $3.50 a piece.  And when I got home to try them on, size-wize, I laughed a little to myself for buying yellow colored tights...  My mother has always told me that yellow is an unfaltering color to my asian skin tone.  The tights won't disappoint her.

 When I got home, I realized that some friends were coming over for dinner, so I cleaned up a bit.  I ended up trying to organize the freezer in the process and came across some frozen pre-made X-Mas cookies that I had forgotten.  So in the oven they went!  I really am a sucker for cute seasonal looking cookies, recipes and cutters.  Shameful, really but soooo tasty!

And for dinner?  A Cuban braised beef with tomatoes and peppers over rice.  Sometimes I like to think I can cook well and when I do find a slightly ethnic dish that can satisfy the American in-grained creature of habit in me, I cook.  And really, if you ever do get a chance, try this recipe.  Though a lot of credit goes to the BF for actually getting it all together today and a co-worker for lending the Crockpot!



All in all, today was just nice to take the time and do the things that I've wanted to do during the busy week.  I used to hate catch-up Saturdays since they tended to be so typical but lately, I really do like to slow down and enjoy the little things.

Current 2010 Loves

So to start off this 2010 year, I've decided to focus on something that I enjoy to do and really expand upon it for the whole year.  And the things I do enjoy are photography, shopping and cooking.  Hopefully by putting this down in writing, I'll have to follow through and actually do these things!  Lately, my so called passion for fashion has taken over and I have rediscovered my love of thrift-ing. 

Now, when I mention my made up verb, "thrift-ing", I mean going to second hand stores, family hand-me-downs, my grandmother's closets and garage sales.  I try to find vintage and old pieces of clothing that I try and force together into an appropriate outfit or accessories that I feel fond for in the moment that don't necessarily go with an outfit but are too unique to be left on a shelf.  And how about that thrill of about 10 items for under $20??  Sensible ladies alike must nod their heads in agreement.  I am one for a bargain deal.

And I realize it's not only I that has felt this excitement before.  Check out Liebemarlene Vintage or The Clothes Horse.  These girls blogs really take the idea of clothing, fashion, vintage ware and photography to a completely different level. 

So over the wintry and long holiday break, I ventured out to some local Salvation Army's and Amvet Centers.  And behold!  What gold I did find. 

Erin Rademacher, Catalog Photographer

So I get asked from time to time what I do now since I graduated.  And I always tend to give the same lame excuse or answer like, "I'm a catalog photographer" or "I shoot Snuggies".  I never fully go into detail about my job and what I do exactly.  But I suppose one can only speculate so much about a catalog photographer.  Usually bad photography and cheap looking sets are run alongside this job and many of the products my company does happen to sell are quite silly.  Ridiculous in fact.  And I only mean that in the sense that a lot of these products are so far fetched and unique, one would have to find them all situated between the pages of a catalog.  No one else would want to sell them any other way. 

The job is fun and I get to test out a lot of the stuff too.  (If it doesn't break on me)  Mostly it's the people I work with that makes it great.  So below I compiled a small bit of what I actually shoot and do during my days here at Home Trends.

 Pretty much everyday I get to shoot something new.  Sometimes I come across reshoots or outdated images that MUST be reshot or else a subscriber might think they came across an old 1989 verision of Home Trends.  And beyond that, I edit, help with layouts and prop shop.  Four months in and I still haven't found a sound routine with what I do weekly.  And really, that suites me fine.

 And when I talk of prop shopping, I usually mean going out to buying more things for the photograph we need and then store it in the ever expanding prop room.  Eventually, I think they'll have to get me a new one, room that is.  There is so much stuff everywhere!  Sometimes I get to buy food.  That's really a good thing, since I get to eat afterwards.  Today though, just paint.

 O and did I mention that my studios don't get heat?  Or maybe we do, perhaps the remnants of another part of the building?  Anyway, the most usual part of my day would mainly consist of me turning on my space heaters and/or standing/sitting by them.  Quite sad I know, feel free to send me gloves anytime!  And since I went out in the cold, cold snow to buy paint, I had to stand by my trusty space heater once again to dry my boots.  But anyway, I digress...

So let me tell you about some of those wacky products that I get to shoot.  This one here is a mosquito repellent necklace.  You simply turn on the high frequency pitch that insects and mosquitoes hate hearing and enjoy your stay outdoors, bug free.  I'm not sure of the radius that this product can yield but a fellow employee and I did turn on the necklace and could hear the "high frequency pitch".  Hmmm...perhaps the label should read, "Repels mosquitoes, dogs and some humans"?  It was a pretty annoying sound.

The next product is lye soap.  A "working man's" soap.  I suppose those that garden, work on cars or just have bad hygiene and habits would use such a heavy duty soap.  It took a while to think of a good and wholesome concept for such a plain and dull product but hey, that's why they hired me!  So going with that "Lets go to Grandma's house!" kinda theme, here's the end result. 

 Another, called Zerust, is a small eraser-sized product that will repel rust damage from any metal tools or objects from a chemical reaction within it.  It also boasts a radius of protection of 2 feet.  Oh and a side note, don't let it near any paper, or that starts to yellow as well.