Men in Black and White

 Before I dive (headfirst!) into studying for my exams again, here are some photos for a series I am doing. The title is nothing fancy, just "Men in Black and White." The subject of each photo is a stranger to me, men I have no affiliation with. They are merely people who stuck out to me while walking around town. After taking a many photos, I realized most of them were of men who were nearing their...senior ages. I wonder why?  I think I am attracted to the experience and wisdom that they hold from living for so many years. Anyways, enjoy the photos!

The photo above was taken in Central Park, New York City. I was walking with a couple of my friends when I heard a melody that literally sent chills down my back. It entranced me, and next thing I knew, I was running away from my friends and searching for the source of the music. I soon found this man playing the most beautiful song I've ever heard on the hammered dulcimer. My friends soon caught up with me and began to record this man's music. I on the other hand, just stood there, dumbfounded. It was only near the end of the song that I regained my senses and snapped this photo. 

It's Einstein's lost brother! :D Just kidding. This photo was taken during the summer while I was waiting for a boat to Centre Island with my cousins and their children. The man was near the front of the line, and alright, I''ll admit it - his mustache was what caught my eye. For some odd reason, I didn't bring my DSLR that day and instead had on hand my point and shoot camera. Although there were certain settings that I couldn't control such as the depth of field and aperture, I think the photo came out pretty nice, no?

Lastly is this photo, which I also took in Central Park. This man was sitting near the John Lennon memorial, and what caught my eye was his rough leather jacket and the suitcase he carried around with him - it was decorated with feathers and canes of different sizes. I usually try to take pictures of my subjects without them noticing in order to show their true nature, but I asked this man for permission because something in my gut told me to do so. 

After a spending a couple of minutes walking around the John Lennon memorial gathering my confidence, I finally went up to him and asked politely, "Can I take your picture?" The man nodded with what I think was a sigh, as if he was almost tired. I didn't ask him to pose for me - I wanted to capture him in what he felt most comfortable in. I wanted to capture a photo of him in his nature. What do you think of this man? I can't help but feel as if he had a troubled past. 

And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this post. I'll probably have another post up next week. I haven't decided on what yet - it could be a recipe, a pastry or chocolate review, or it might just be a blog post about my week. We'll see! But until then, why don't you comment below with some of your favourite photos, be it ones that you have taken yourself, or photos taken by others but think are beautiful. I love looking at photos taken by others! <3

Cold and Cozy Winter Days

I'm a really selfish person. When it's hot, I wish for snow. When it snows, I curse it and wish for warm and sunny days. Since I live in Canada, I am fortunate to experience all four seasons. There are things I dislike about each season, and things that I love. Right now it is winter, and today is one of those lucky days where the sun decides to come out instead of hiding behind stormy grey clouds.

As much as I dislike large amounts of snow, (It's such a bother, traffic-wise!) it has only snowed twice this year. Twice. It's late January and I there is not fluffy white snow covering the grass. This, my friends, is abnormal. I went snowboarding last week up north, and the hills were extremely icy. During the couple of times that I fell, I grew bruises on my knees and got myself a swollen hip. This is abnormal. The snow should be soft during mid-January.

Nonetheless, the temperature for the last couple of days have been dropping. Not a steady drop mind you, but  it's getting there. Today I finally had a chance to put on a fluffy scarf (Abercrombie and Fitch) and a pair of mittens (Hudson's Bay Co.) without beginning to sweat five minutes later. The air outside, while cold, is also very crisp. I like crisp air - it's really refreshing. It's also put me into a cheerful mood, even with my upcoming exams. I've taken up knitting again, an activity that I enjoy but lack talent at.

In The Beginning...

Here I am, with half a dozen (quite literally) projects that need to be completed next week and four exams to study. What am I doing? Creating a blog to document thoughts, inspirations, recipes, and just day to day life. I am slightly scared to be honest - I've always been afraid of starting something because I have to start from the beginning, the bottom.  But who knows where this blog will go? Maybe in a few years, it will become something big. Whatever its future is, I'm sure it's going to be an adventure.