Squirlaraptor Photography

Theodorus Maximus

2010-08-11T10:01:00.002-05:00

New Kitty!, originally uploaded by squirlaraptor.

Max, for short. Cory and I adopted him Monday. He's about 3 years old and very sweet. They had named him Maximus at the shelter and even though I really wanted to choose a new name for him (since I think naming a new kitty is part of making the kitty part of my family), he really is a Max. They got it right.

He has been exploring the house, cuddling with us, and generally being very cool about everything. Gracie, on the other hand, is pissed and scared. It doesn't look like there will be any catfights to break up, since he doesn't seem fazed by her hissing and she is ultimately a chicken, but I am hoping she gets used to his presence soon. Right now she's hiding in the bathroom (That's what she does anytime she gets scared. When there's a thunderstorm, she hides in the bathroom, too.) and hissing when she hears Max go by or when she is feeling particularly stressed. I think that when she accepts the fact that he's staying and starts to get braver, they will eventually be buddies.

Sophie's gone.

2010-05-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

The vet said six months ago that she probably wouldn't last much longer. During those six months, Sophie was skinny and weak but still cuddly and playful and interested in things. Last night she was more wobbly than usual and this morning I found her lying awkwardly by the window breathing hard and drooling a lot. She was clearly in pain, so I took her to the vet. The vet examined her and said her body was shutting down and she was trying to go.

I expected that this would be her last vet trip, but it was still really hard to see her go. At least this time I know did everything right. I took good care of her and didn't let her live in pain. I already miss her lots, though. Usually when I'm sad I cuddle up with Sophie and she helps me feel better. :-(

Hair cut - rough draft

2010-05-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

I have been feeling extremely bored with my hair lately and I'm also trying to grow out the black dye in my hair and see how I feel about going back to my natural haircolor (or something closer to it). I do not like going to have my hair done and I hate paying to have my hair done, so I figured the best way to take care of both of these problems at once was just to cut it off.

And that's what I did. I was a little nervous beforehand (and I deliberately waited until I was done teaching for the semester, just in case I really messed it up), but I got up this morning and chopped off several inches. It's pretty short again (but not as short as it once was). I'm considering this a first draft haircut. I'm going to style it today and maybe tomorrow, too, and see how I feel about it and then maybe take another run at it. If this is a rough draft, it may need some editing--especially in the back.

Overall, though, I think I'm pretty pleased with it. And after I cut it off I realized there's another major benefit: No hair on my neck during the summer. Hooray!

Back on Etsy!

2010-04-25T21:10:00.001-05:00

I took a bit of a vacation from posting things in in my Etsy shop (and from posting here), but I'm back now. I've re-posted some things in my Etsy shop and will be posting some new things in the next few weeks (in between grading and writing).

Basically, I'm planning a serious cleaning out of my closet and so lots of stuff will be leaving this house. Some will go up on Etsy, some may go to local vintage shops, some will go to local charities, and some may even just get trashed. Check it out! If you buy something, you can even consider it a contribution to the end of my graduate degree. :-)

Photography for sale

2010-03-22T00:39:00.000-05:00

I recently set up an account at Red Bubble, which is a site that is, in their words, "an open and inclusive website where you can share your art, photography and design with the world." It is also a site where you can attempt to sell your art, photography, and design to the world.

I have posted a few photos to see if I can actually sell anything this way. Check it out!

I'll be uploading more photos in the near future, including some of my best work from the past year or so.

Beer Express

2010-03-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Winter Light

2010-03-14T21:11:00.000-05:00

Cattle

2010-03-13T10:17:00.000-06:00

Monuments and Flags

2010-03-12T23:02:00.000-06:00

Light & Dark

2010-03-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

Half-Naked Family Statue

2010-03-09T21:27:00.000-06:00

This is a statue in one of Arlington's city parks. I really have no idea what they're going for here. Yay babies, I guess?

Boy Scouts

2010-03-07T10:50:00.002-06:00

Reaching

2010-03-06T15:30:00.000-06:00

Mysterious Light Leaks, Part 2

2010-03-04T17:16:00.000-06:00

Mysterious Light Leaks

2010-03-01T14:36:00.000-06:00

I took these photos with my Minolta using new film. I have absolutely no idea why they turned out like this. It's definitely interesting, though.

What's funny to me is that although the first two posted here are clearly pictures of Gracie (with additional and unplanned special effects), the last is completely unidentifiable. I have no idea what I was shooting.

The Arlin Motel

2010-02-27T16:32:00.002-06:00

Winter Darkness

2010-02-26T10:07:00.000-06:00

Taken with the Holga using Portra 400 film--and edited just a bit with Flickr's online editing program.

Books & Snow

2010-02-25T14:41:00.000-06:00

I finally sent in my film from this winter to be developed. Here are two of my favorite shots from one roll taken with my Minolta SRT-201 using expired Kodachrome slide film. They neatly illustrate two of the major elements of my winter: snow and books.

Winter in Texas has been shockingly snowy this year. This photo was, I believe, taken the second time it snowed.

And this was taken in the stacks at the University of Texas at Dallas's library.

I have three more rolls of film, so there will be more pictures soon!

Never mind.

2010-02-11T14:02:00.000-06:00

In the last post, I claimed that my 52 Weeks projects were continuing, but I was sadly mistaken. I decided last week that I just didn't have enough time and mental energy to keep up with them while I write my dissertation. I will post what I took before calling off the project and I'll still keep taking pictures throughout the dissertation process, but it will be a much more spontaneous affair from here on out.

I'm sad to give up on the project, but, on the other hand, in the last two weeks I've written one dissertation chapter, which is very exciting. I am editing it now (to make sure it says what I want it to say) and will submit it to my committee chair tonight or tomorrow.

Falling Behind

2010-01-26T09:22:00.001-06:00

My weekly photography projects are still on and I'm keeping up with taking pictures; I'm just behind in a) editing and uploading digital photos and b) getting film developed. I miss it, so hopefully I can play catch-up soon. It's just hard to justify the time spent on photography when I'm supposed to be writing my dissertation, teaching, attending meetings and presentations at school, preparing lectures, and writing job materials. And also maintaining friendships and being newly married.

New pictures soon(-ish)!

Curve: Week 6 (Digital)

2010-01-03T11:35:00.000-06:00

“Life and love are life and love, a bunch of violets is a bunch of violets, and to drag in the idea of a point is to ruin everything. Live and let live, love and let love, flower and fade, and follow the natural curve, which flows on, pointless.”

~D.H. Lawrence

White Christmas: Week 5 (Digital)

2010-01-02T14:58:00.000-06:00

It snowed Christmas Eve and we woke up Christmas morning to a lovely blanket of snow. I got up early to go outside and take pictures before it started to melt.

Christmas afternoon, Cory and I went to his parents' house for a big lunch and later we all went to see Sherlock Holmes together. It was a good meal and an entertaining movie. I took some pictures of the Christmas tree at his parents' house while waiting for the meal.

Snowflake: Week 4 (Digital)

2010-01-01T14:47:00.000-06:00

Cory and I went to meet some friends at Barcadia, a local bar that features a nicely varied selection of beers, a pretty good food menu, and arcade games. I drank a lot and took lots of pictures. I blame the many, many beers I had for the scarcity of actually good pictures from that night. Fortunately, I took a few pictures before I got very drunk.

Fierce: Week 3 (Digital)

2009-12-25T14:49:00.000-06:00

Cory and I went to Pioneer Park in downtown Dallas to walk around and take pictures. There's an old cemetery there, a Confederate War memorial, and a massive sculpture project featuring some cowboys driving longhorn cattle down a hill. This is one of the cowboys. He looks intense and a little scary. No wonder the cattle are running from him.

Here are a few more pictures from that expedition.

Snow: Week 2 (Digital)

2009-12-10T14:01:00.000-06:00

I live in Texas. It snows maybe once a year here. So when I woke up last week and it was snowing outside, I leapt straight from my bed, grabbed my camera and whatever shoes and jacket were nearest the door and headed out to document this event.

It's a good thing I acted fast, too, because the snow didn't last too much longer and it certainly didn't stick.

Here are some more pictures from that brief snow event.

This last picture is a personal favorite. I took it (unlike the others) from inside the house and the old glass in the window caused some interesting distortions in the image.