gracey ♥ photography

A Sneak Peek Of My New Website

2011-12-21T13:10:00.000-06:00

Well, during the past month, I have been working on a new photography website.

The URL is: http://gracetrivino.com

It is not fully complete yet but I would just like to share to anyone who is interested to see. I would love to know what you think of the new site so if you have time, please let me know what you think of the new website, its organization and what I can do to improve it (and/or my photos).

I look forward to hearing from you!

My new Website: http://gracetrivino.com

Portraits from the Renaissance Faire

2011-09-21T18:40:00.010-05:00

I took these photos on Labor Day.

Summer Fun

2011-09-08T00:18:00.002-05:00

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.

- Anton Chekhov

Sunrise

2011-08-18T09:15:00.004-05:00

Flickr Link: Sunrise

Meditate.
Live purely. Be quiet.
Do your work with mastery.
Like the moon, come out
from behind the clouds!
Shine

Buddha

A Lesson From Chuang Tzu

2011-07-27T12:41:00.001-05:00

I've been so busy and stressed in the past few months. I feel like I've been running around, sometimes in circles... getting nowhere. This morning, I came across this Taoist story, and I thought, what an appropriate lesson for me!

The Man Who Was Scared of his Shadow

There was once a man who was terrified of his own shadow and lived in fear of the sound of his own footsteps. Walking along one day he entered a panic and tried to flee at top speed. But as fast as he ran, his shadow and footsteps kept up with him and made him run all the faster, until he finally collapsed of exhaustion and died.

If he had only sat down in the shade of a tree, he would no longer have have been able to see his shadow or hear his own footsteps.

Tablao Flamenco 2011

2011-06-17T23:14:00.001-05:00

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Flickr Link: Tablao Flamenco

Chiara Mangiameli had her 3rd annual students recital entitled "Tablao Flamenco 2011".

What beautiful performances by the students and Chiara herself!

I enjoyed the show very much and am much inspired to take flamenco lessons too.

For those interested, below is the Chiara's Studio information:

Studio Mangiameli

http://www.lamangiameli.com/live/

4107 W Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641

Phone: (312) 593-3865

We Are Just Trying To Find Our Way Home

2011-05-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

Flickr Link: We are All Just Trying to Find Our Way Home

And Hansel said to Gretel: Let us drop these bread crumbs so that together we can find our way home because losing our way would be the most cruel of things. And once you lose yourself, you have two choices:
Find the person you used to be or lose that person completely.
Because sometimes you have to step outside of the person you've been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you wanted to be.
The person you are.

Jamming at the Barbershop

2011-05-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

Flickr Link: Jamming at the Barbershop

Flickr Link: Jamming at the Barbershop

Taken in the Pilsen neighborhood. My friends and I were walking on 18th street and I noticed this scene while passing by a barbershop.

I just could not help but snap a few photos. :)

Wide Open Spaces

2011-04-26T00:53:00.003-05:00

Flickr Link: Wide Open Spaces

Advance, and never halt,
for advancing is perfection.
Advance and do not fear the thorns in the path,
for they draw only corrupt blood.

~ Khalil Gibran ~

Almost Sunset

2011-04-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

Flickr Link: Almost Sunset

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.

~ Arthur Golden ~

Butterfly Macro

2011-04-21T23:46:00.000-05:00

Flickr Link: Butterfly Macro

Mario wanted to take pictures of bugs for his Macro assignment. So, we went to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's Butterfly Haven.

After he got his shots, I borrowed the macro lens from him and took some photos of these beautiful 'bugs'.

The photo above is my favorite.

Cowboy on the Go

2011-04-20T00:04:00.001-05:00

Flickr Link: Cowboy on the Go

This photo was taken at a gas station in the Pilsen neighborhood.

Macro Assigment

2011-04-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

Flickr Link: Macro

My cousin Anne, who is also into photography now gives us assignments to do every week.

The first one assignment is "Macro".

For this shot, I dipped the pencils in a glass of sparkling water. I also used an off-camera flash to the left of the glass.

Kissing Clothespins in Paris

2011-04-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

Flickr Link: Kissing Clothespins In Paris

I found this in photo in my archives from my 2010 trip to Paris.

It made me smile. :)

Street Murals in Pilsen, Heart of Chicago

2011-04-06T21:38:00.002-05:00

Flickr Link: Yes, it can be done!

Flickr Link: Pilsen Street Mural

Flickr Link: 2006 Childlink/Afterschool Matters Summer Program Mural - Pilsen

Flickr Link: Street Mural on 19th Street

Taken in Pilsen, Chicago.

Characters at the C2E2

2011-03-27T00:15:00.009-05:00

Flickr Link: Nick Fury and Ms. Marvel

Flickr Link: The Joker

Flickr Link: The Riddler

Flickr Link: Joker and Harley Quinn

Flickr Link: Ryūgū Rena (Cleaver Girl)

Last March 20, Mario and I, together with our friend, Pete Tsai went to the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). We thought that it would be a great opportunity to shoot interesting people in their costumes.

That weekend, I learned a new word:

Cosplay

short for 'costume play', a type of

performance art in which participants don

costumes and accessories to represent

a specific character or idea

And since we were with Pete, and since Pete is crazy (in a very good way) with lighting, I was able to get the photos above by using his setup. He mounted 2 SB900s and a softbox on a monopod. It was a very efficient setup that gave us awesome-looking shots. (Thanks, Pete!)

My Attempt to Capture the Supermoon

2011-03-21T19:13:00.004-05:00

Flickr Link: Supermoon!

Last Saturday, Mario and I joined our friend, Pete Tsai on Chicago's west side to shoot the Supermoon, with the skyline as the foreground. It was a very cloudy night. For a long time, we did not see any hint of the moon.

This photo is one of all of two photos I took that had the suggestion of the moon being there.

Oia, Santorini

2011-02-26T21:29:00.004-06:00

Flickr Link: Exploring Oia

Flickr Link: Exploring Oia

Flickr Link: Exploring Oia

These photos were taken while exploring the beautiful town of Oia in Santorini.

Marriage.

2011-02-13T23:08:00.006-06:00

Flickr Link: On Marriage...

On Marriage

Then Almitra spoke again and said...
"And what of Marriage, master?"
And he answered saying:

You were born together,
and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings
of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the
silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between
the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together.
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress
grow not in each other's shadow."

-From the Prophet
By Khalil Gibran

"Helios" Means "Sun"

2011-01-27T00:04:00.006-06:00

Flickr Link: Sunset at Oia

Flickr Link: Helios means Sun...

The sun gives warmth...
The sun makes people happy...
The sun is beautiful...

Especially in Santorini.

Greek Philosophers of Mylopotamos

2011-01-16T13:19:00.004-06:00

Flickr Link: Greek Philosophers of Mylopotamos

Taken in the town of Mylopotamos in Kythira.

Paris, Je T'Aime

2010-12-26T21:40:00.007-06:00

Flickr Link: Louvre Museum and Jardin des Tuileries

Flickr Link: Grand Palais

Flickr Link: Under the Arc de Triomphe

Flickr Link: Eiffel Tower

Flickr Link: Eiffel Tower

Flickr Link: Carousel Near Eiffel Tower

Flickr Link: Le Marais

Flickr Link: The Louvre Museum at Night

Flickr Link: Pyramide du Louvre la Nuit

Flickr Link: Shadow of Louis XIV

Flickr Link: At the Moulin Rouge

These photos were taken when I went on vacation with Mario and our friends last August. We stayed in Paris for four days and tried to see and experience as much of the city as we could.

"Found Items" at Architectural Artifacts

2010-12-17T08:32:00.000-06:00

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Look what I found...

Architectural Artifacts

http://www.architecturalartifacts.com

4325 North Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613

Phone: (773) 348-0622

Hours: 10am-5pm • 7 days a week

I've been going to the Architectural Artifacts a lot lately. It is a huge 80,000 square feet antique store in the Ravenswood area.

Each time I go, there are so many new items to discover. And with each discovery, I wonder what's its backstory...

Mannequins

2010-12-09T20:52:00.006-06:00

Flickr Link: Strike a Pose

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Flickr Link: Found at Architectural Artifacts

Kyrios Stamatis (Mr. Stamatis)

2010-11-28T20:49:00.005-06:00

Flickr Link: Kyrios Stamatis (Mr. Stamatis)

Flickr Link: Kyrios Stamatis (Mr. Stamatis)

Flickr Link: Kyrios Stamatis (Mr. Stamatis)

Kyrios Stamatis is our koumbaro's family's neighbor in Kythira.

He lived in Kythira all his life. Rumor is he never really left the island ever.