Taking Pictures & Being Mysterious

I’m not particularly mysterious. But with a couple tricks on my phone, I have figured out how to be mysterious online. And to totally give people the impression I am super-attractive (in the eye of the beholder) fashionable and maybe even have my life together!

Let’s start!

This is li'l' ol' me! 

Nothing to fancy here. Just me with a ton of hair in my face, simple spaghetti strap top and no makeup or anything. Typical weekend, as far as I am concerned.

Here is my mug shot!I mean, basically, right? This was from a post I wrote called No Makeup!

So, I put on some makeup and I went with a very bold lip because - that's really easy. I made sure the light is hitting my face. You always want to keep the light in front of you to highlight.

I didn't actually wash my hair this day - I need to wash it every day or else it looks like I haven't showered in months. I'm oily! I don't have the best skin, although I keep it under pretty good control. Improvement starts with identification! But, seriously, I was too lazy to shower but I was ok with putting on makeup to hide that.

So, this is the picture I took. I find not looking at the camera makes your mysterious. And, you know, looking like you shower also makes you. .mm. . .well, you should shower. A couple things I know about my self and I work with include - well, I have slight Bell's Palsy so I have to think when I smile that I am properly engaging all the muscles I have. In this way, I use a sideways smile as my "normal" smile.

Also, because I am lazy, I have no idea what that thing in front of me is - probably my hand - but imperfections are sexy and give this more of a "voyeuristic" look. It gives this picture the look as if someone caught me.

As far as composition, I keep some extra space to the one side of me. Because in proper photo composition, like the "Rule of Thirds" the best! I took a class on this in college. I failed the class, I think. I'm not, you know, a photographer. 

Anyhow, as any teenager knows, using filters that come with any smartphone these days makes for a mysterious picture.  decided to go with a “vintage” filter to add warmth and some over-saturation of color. All in all, I don't look that bad for someone who doesn't shower, has facial deformities but can slather on some makeup and follow some rules of compilation and can use a filter.

Another More-Mysterious Photos

What? Crop out your face in a headshot? Sure. It’s more mysterious. It’s a fact, the less you show, the most mysterious you are. This works in most areas of life. Not all. Be careful with that. 

Here, I get a nice contrast with my black and green straps and my red lip really pops. But, still seems a little creepy. I can fix this!

I, again, used the "vintage" filter for the warmth. It also adds some depth to my collarbone because bones showing are mysterious. It sounds like an oxymoron but it is not. The more innards you see, the better! That’s artistic. The background, however, is not.

I cropped the hell of the picture. Why? Well, the background wasn't really working for me. No one wants to see a blanket, window and a/c unit. This way, the background is less which makes the itty part of my face MORE. 

Speaking of more, I pumped up the highlights and brightness and cut off more of my body. Not having the straps makes this more mysterious! Am I naked? Who knows. 

Maybe I’m a naked, hot lady with big, hot, red lips naked. . .somewhere. Pouting. 

Smiles aren't mysterious. 

So, if you want to make yourself mysterious in pictures, this is a pretty good way to go it. Key points:

• Keep the light where you want things highlighted.
• Spruce up the best features with paint (makeup).
• Crop the hell out of stuff to make people invent their own reality about you.
• Add warmth.
• Don't make eye contact. 
• Use poplar phone filters to make people think you are artistic. 

Take a Picture a Day – Follow Up

Mission level: General fail

Background
Back on the last day of May, I took on a lengthy challenge, which you can read about, know as Take One Picture A Day.

How hard can this be? Oddly enough, it sort of moves between being hard and being easy.

I take a lot of pictures of Lucky – my latest foster cat. Because he’s just so damn cute and he does funny things.

I wanted to take pictures that were really “deep” or “meaningful” and came to the conclusion, the mundane can be quite significant. Sort of like when I was in this second-hand/vintage shop and there was old yearbooks and autograph books – many with mundane pictures of people doing mundane things and writing about mundane events – and I realized I was holding someone’s lost item. Someone’s autograph book filled with signatures and happy notes. The notes, the people and the time was unknown to me but it felt significant that here I was holding it. Who could have ever imagined?

Progress
I set up a separate folder in my DropBox for photos for this mission, and, well. . .I sort of took the same amount of photos I take on a normal basis.

Anyhow, here are my first 30 pictures! And by 30, I mean 18.

My life is boring

True story. Boring life. I don't have many things to take pictures of except for myself and my cat. Bummer.

Future Plans
I am torn between trying this again or giving up. I think it ties back into wanting to find or see something meaningful or dramatic. I guess I have a lot of friends who sort of do that. Then again, they are far less structured and seem to always be going to the beach or hanging out with friends.

Since I am an introvert who works a normal 9-5 job and who doesn't like to take a lot of pictures of other people, either, I don't have a wonderful canvas.

And, with that said - I feel it is even more important to try this again. 

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Photograph US Post Offices

I like sending mail, so, my enjoyment of the US Postal Service was a given. I also like that the US Postal Office is the "town center" wherever it is. It doesn't mean it is the actual place people want to go or cool stuff is around it, but, if you ever type in a town name or zip code, it will put you at the US Post Office.

Friend: Why do you say US Post Office? Did you feel the need to distinguish from the Canadian Post Office or something?
Me: Maybe.

So, the post office. 

Mission

I want to get as many photos of different post offices as I can. If I travel outside the US, I'd be all for getting other post offices. But, I'm in American, so, US Post Offices for now. 

I brought this mission up with my handsome man friend:

Him: How many pictures do you have?
Me: Two.
Him: I mean total.
Me: Two.

Seriously, why would I lie? In looking in my file, though, I actually have four. I was off because I didn't realize one came out and I thought I accidentally deleted another one.

What I Have So Far

Bally, PA

My most recent is Bally, PA (19503). Bally is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,090 at the 2010 census. I don't know why this information is important. I guess it means it's a small town. Unless you are in one room with 1,000 some people, then it's a lot of people.

As far as notable people - In 1912, Bally resident Annie Clemmer Funk, a Mennonite missionary to India, died during the sinking of the RMS Titanic. She was en route to Bally to visit her ailing mother, and reportedly gave up her seat in a lifeboat to another passenger or child.

That's a pretty good deed there, Annie. She was only 38 at the time.

I did get a drive-by of the Lake Placid, New York Post Office. It was in a bit of an awkward place and it is also a little hard to explain to Mr. Wonderful you need to stop the car NOW to get a picture of a US Post Office.

There are a lot of great things you can do in Lake Placid - the Post Office is not that far from great Olympic stuff - you can go Ice Skating and even Bobsledding in this sweet location.

Plus, look at that snow! I love a snowy day. You know. In winter. I like my summer, too.

I am not sure why the flag was at half mass. I feel like I should, but, I feel like maybe it was a local thing. It was December 23, 2012.

NY, NY

My third US Post Office was in New York City, New York when I went for one of my first vacations and birthday celebrations ever! I don't get a lot of birthday love 'cept from my parents.

I also lost some weight since then - so. . .this is a great picture. Also, the post office is huge. . .I couldn't get any other markings on it in the picture I was making my friend, Jeff, take.

Anyhow, this is the James Farley Post Office (10001), which was named that in 1982, is the main post office building in New York City. It was built in 1912, and is inscribed with: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

The Farley Post Office is home to "Operation Santa", made famous in the classic 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street..

Paramus, NJ

My first US Post Office ever, well. it was Paramus, New Jersey (07652). I was lost at the time, I think. Paramus use to be settled by indigenous people - the Lenape people.

Not much really happened here. There was some military set-ups and an African-American colony for freed slaves throughout the Revolution and Civil Wars (respectively).

The city only got its act together in about 1970 - it had lacked any real planning before then.

So, behold, the NJ Paramus US Post Office.

Check-In Will Happen
Yep. Here we go! I'll update you on some of my photos and let you know a little about them. I think it might make for some good road trips. 

My man-friend has Prius. 

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Take One Picture A Day

Mission: Take one picture everyday for a year.

The Challenge
Well, this seems simple enough. I am never without my handy Droid or access to my DropBox account. I can surely take a picture a day.

I do have questions – which I will eventually just answer:

• Should it be a picture of me?
• Or just a picture of something?
• Do you set up one place to take it?

Answer: I will take a picture of whatever I want. Then I will caption it.

I’m not sure what I am suppose to learn during this process, but, I know a lot of people make slideshows about it and you can see different haircuts and whatnot or slight ageing if they do it for longer than a year.

I’m just going to take some pictures. A picture a day. I can do a monthly follow-up. I’m a woman, I like to work on a monthly schedule. It’s familiar to me.

I hope I don’t forget this. I’m sure I will wander around and stuff looking for good stuff to capture. I don’t live a very exciting life.

Here is my picture from today!

Pear, apple, plum and an avacado pit - lunch!

Just to clarify - I am not eating the pit. I was going to try to grown an avocado tree. Then I realized it takes 5-7 years to get avocados. But, I feel bad throwing out the pit.

Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.