photography

Expanding my Photography Horizons

Photography


{ PREFACE: I apologize that I haven’t been very frequent on here lately. I have 4 jobs, and am going to school in the evenings for my Teaching Credential. Needless to say, my life is extremely busy at the moment. BUT, I want to make it sure I post at least once a week from now on. So I give you the OK to be on my back if I don’t 🙂 }


I am currently the Community Leader at Athleta Pasadena. We are a women’s fitness & lifestyle apparel clothing company, which focuses on empowering women to be their best. We did a fitness blogger highlight the other month, and I was asked to take the photographs of my wonderful friend, Rachel Baker. She is the creator and author of The Love Fit Life blog.

From a photography standpoint, this was really the first time I’ve really branched into professionally photographing people instead of landscapes and fish 🙂 I had a BLAST taking all these portraits of Rachel for Athleta. We were lucky to snap some pictures in a variety of locations -> Pure Barre Pasadena, Central Park, & Pasadena Fire Station 31. 

I am really interested in getting more portrait photography experience – so if you or anyone you know needs to get any portraits taken – please comment on this post 🙂

Rincón – New Favorite Getaway

Photography, Thoughts

I just had one of the best weekends of my life. My housemate/coworker/best friend here – Sara – and I went on a 2 hour road trip west to Rincón (the surf capital of Puerto Rico). Although, right now is slow season, we still had an amazing time. We stayed with a friend of Sara’s, Gabi, who is from Washington but her family is Puerto Rican. She just moved to a beautiful house her dad owns in Rincon, and overlooks the whole stretch of ocean.

We went snorkeling on Steps Beach – which inspired the beautiful pictures seen above of the very friendly (and photogenic) juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtle. The Elkhorn Coral was HUGE and teaming with life around it. A definite “must-see” when in Rincon. We were eager to go Scuba Diving, but after calling 7 different shops, no one could get us on their trip the next morning. Bummer :/ But, that just means we have something to look forward to next time.

We went back to Gabi’s house to freshen up. The rain had started to pour down outside – but that didn’t damper the fun evening we had ahead of us. We drove to Hotel Villa Cofresi, which is a little waterfront hotel. It’s famous for their outside bar which serves a delicious drink filled with multiple rums, coconut water, and served in a giant coconut. We sat on the patio right next to the ocean front, where we saw a huge bait-ball of sardines jumping and moving across the water’s surface.

After that yummy beverage, it was time for dinner. One of my favorite restaurants in Rincon is Ode to the Elephants. I had met the owner, Clay, last time we were surfing in Rincon a couple of months ago. If you like awesome Thai food, this is the place to go. Not to mention Clay is an expert bartender – he makes THE BEST martinis you’ll ever sip. I swear. The restaurant is nestled on top of a hill that overlooks the whole coastline (gorgeous!). As we were sitting at the bar, the black night sky lit up every couple of minutes to remind us of the fury in the clouds above. Thunderstorms were moving across the ocean in front of us, it it just felt like a perfect evening. After dinner, we headed for a night cap at the new Rincon Beer Company.

There, we played Cards Against Humanity (most hilarious card game ever), and drank some of the local brews. It was a great nightcap to an adventurous day.

The next day we headed to town to find some coffee and a bite to eat. We wandered into an environmentally conscious silk screening house and retail store called, The Uncharted Studio. It reminded me a lot of a little surf shop I’d see somewhere in California. They awesome printed shirts, hand bags, hats, and various art pieces from local artists. I ended up buying a shirt and some postcards, but I know every time I go to Rincón I’ll have to buy something new from them 🙂 Plus, I love supporting local companies.

Then, we went to a little secluded beach spot to meet Clay and his friends from around town. We went SUPing, snorkeling, and relaxed in the sunshine. We made lots of new friends who work at the various bars and restaurants in Rincón – one of which has supposedly an amazing brunch where Sara and I HAVE TO TRY when we go back.

That’s all for now – until our next big adventure…

 

Photo & Video Update

Photography, Thoughts

WAHOO! I’ve finally had time edit some video footage and photos from the last couple of months. I have to say, I absolutely love my GoPro Hero3 – it’s been attached to my hand both above water and underneath it. I really love creating little video summaries of the adventures I have here in Puerto Rico.

The video below is a promotional video I made for our Underwater Photography activity at work:

And here are some various underwater photos I’ve taken with my GoPro Hero3 🙂

Here are some photos from my trip to Belize in May:

100 Days Project (Take 2)

Photography, Thoughts

Chanel #5 – 100 Days Project

 

This is my second (and hopefully successful) attempt at the 100 Days Project described below:

The 100 Days Project is simple. 

Choose one creative exercise, and then repeat it every day for 100 days. Record each daily effort and see what evolves in the work and in the self over time.

The project gives anyone a framework and the permission to be creative. It challenges you to dig deep into your creative reserves, to rely on your readiness to work in order to achieve creative breakthrough. It can be an end to procrastination, and the development of resilience. It takes a lot of energy, and yet the rewards can resonate for a long time after the 100th Day is over.

In 2011 Emma Rogan decided to start a 100 Days Project after reading about Michael Bierut’s ‘100 Days of Design’ class at Yale. She invited others to join her and word of the project spread. Since inception hundreds of people have participated in the project.

This 100 Days Project is not a commercial undertaking, and is not in anyway (but spirit) affiliated with the Yale School of Art. Good things will come from the rigorous repetition of a process or idea over the 100 days. To see what others have done before, have a look at the previous projects. – Emma Rogan

Last year, my 100 Days Project’s creative daily task was to draw a pencil sketch of a item listed in a sketch book I received as a gift from a friend. I lasted about 6 days, and my busy life got the best of me :/

This year, I decided to pick a relatively easy task that would be: FUN, EASY, and that I COULD DO ALMOST ANYWHERE:

= HANDSTANDS!

Chanel Handstand

Starting July 11th for 100 days, I will have a friend take of picture of me doing a handstand somewhere new. After starting CrossFit last year, I love doing handstands. I still have room for improvement, so I am hoping doing this task for 100 days will help me improve my form. Also, I’m excited to jump out of my comfort zone and do handstands in some locations where handstands aren’t normally done. It’s time to get CREATIVE 🙂

To follow my 100 Days Project – visit this link here :

Chanel #5 – 100 Days Project

 

Be sure to check out some of the other projects. Last year there were around 800 participants, and this year we have reached over 1000!

Photography: Kite Boarding

Photography, Thoughts

I had the pleasure to host a professional wakeboarder the other week by the name of Moti Levi. He is 25 years old from Israel, and one of the sweetest most genuine people I’ve ever met. Moti has a twin brother who is also a professional wakeboarder, and they both have been hard of hearing since they were young. But, that doesn’t stop them from doing what they love in the water!

Here’s an awesome little video that he recently published:

 

In my photography career, I’ve never really ventured too much into the ‘action/sport photography’ world. So, when the opportunity presented itself to photograph Moti’s amazing skills while kite boarding here in Puerto Rico, I jumped on it! Here are the results – let me know what you think:

Moti2 Moti1 Moti3 Moti4 Moti5
Moti9 Moti8 Moti7 Moti18 Moti17 Moti16 Moti15 Moti14 Moti13 Moti12
Moti10 Moti19 Moti20 Moti24 Moti22

Lessons and Highlights of 2013

Thoughts

Goodbye 2013, HELLO 2014!

What an unforgettable year 2013 was… it felt like so much was packed into those little 12 months. 2013 year was filled with risks and opportunities of a lifetime. Through all the experiences I had this year, nothing is more precious than the people around you who have proved that they support you 110% in life. I want to personally thank everyone who supported all my crazy life adventures in 2013. Whether you simply liked a Facebook Page, donated money to help get my to Malaysia for Miss Scuba International, sent a personal inspirational note to my inbox, or just verbally wished me luck on my ventures – I honestly couldn’t have gotten this far in life without you. Two words that sums up 2013: Thankful and Grateful.

I’d love to hear from you – please comment below: How was your 2013 year? What did you learn? What were some highlights?

LESSONS LEARNED:

I learned that taking risks has its advantages.
I learned that a good friend will always come back to you in the end.
I learned that being a vegetarian was one of the best decisions I ever made.
I learned that juicing is a delicious and an exciting new addition to my healthy/fit lifestyle.
I learned that life is short, and there’s no reason to not do something you want to do.
I learned that being confident in your own skin shines brighter than anything else.
I learned that being in a beauty pageant is exhausting work.
I learned that doing hand-stands passes the time real well.
I learned how fortunate I am to have a strong, stable, and fantastic group of individuals who have my back with any wild and crazy venture I choose to take.
I learned that there are more nice people in the world then there are bad.
I learned that the worse thing someone can say when you ask them something is ‘no’ – so don’t be afraid to ask for something you want.
I learned that finding a pair of heels you can actually walk in comfortably – is like finding a needle in a haystack!

HIGHLIGHTS:

Look Outside… The Lines

Photography, Thoughts
Credit: Chanel Hason

Credit: Chanel Hason | Sabah, Malaysia

Photography takes me to a special place. It is an art. Your photographs define, in a lot of ways, how you perceive the world around you. I enjoy capturing images of objects that most people would simply dismiss. Take for example the image above of a dent in the side of a palm tree. It may not be traditionally seen as ‘beautiful’ to many people, but this to me was something I couldn’t pass up photographing. I enjoy the textures of nature – they are so lush, incredible, unique, and never the same. So my mission for you today is to find beauty in the world around you – open your senses to the world and it will surprise you 🙂 

“When nature suffers because it is destroyed by human activities, the notion of beauty is really losing its meaning, because nothing is more aesthetic than the natural beauty.” 
― Marieta Maglas

Photography + Science = Chanel | 2013 Summary

Photography, Science, Thoughts

looking glass

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for my blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 20,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Top 10 Reasons Why LA is Awesome

Photography, Thoughts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOS ANGELES!

The City of Angels turned 232
on September 4, 2013

LA Sunset

* My Photograph was Featured on DiscoverLosAngeles.com *

My mom and I moved to South Pasadena – only a 15 min drive from the heart of downtown Los Angeles – when I was in 4th grade. I spent the majority of my youthful years in LA, that is until my mom moved back to Texas when I was a sophomore in college. While going to college in Monterey Bay CA, I cherished the clean air and beautiful coast line each and every day. But after 4 years of foggy days, cold blistering winds, and rainy days, I was ready to move back to LA so I could be reminded of what the sun looks like.

I’ve spent 14 years of my life in the City of Angeles, and it truly holds a special place in my heart. There really is NO PLACE like Los Angeles 🙂 In saying that, I’d like to share a couple of key factors that make LA so amazing:

Top 10 Reasons Why LA is AWESOME:

 

  1. ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO: There is never a week that goes by in Los Angeles that there’s not a festival, event, concert, or some kind of exciting gathering. If people say they are bored in LA, tell them they are crazy and lazy.
  2. SUNSHINE YEAR ROUND: After living in Monterey where there was only about a week of sunshine for the entire year, I learned that LA was in fact where I belonged. I’m a child of the sun and sea – and thanks to the 292 days year round of sunshine in Los Angeles – I’m a happy camper!
  3. LOTS OF HIKING: Yes this is a large city, but we’ve got hills and mountains galore! There’s even a waterfall 5 minutes of the street from my house. If you consider LA a concrete jungle, let me treat you to a hiking tour around the area to change your mind.
  4. MIXING BOWL OF PEOPLE: It’s true that there’s a lot of struggling grads trying to get into the film/production/screenwriting/acting/music industry, but there’s also a lot of other people that make up Los Angeles. There’s more to LA than “Hollywood.” So many people move here from around the world to start a new adventure in their lives!! Never judge a book by its cover in LA – you never know who you are talking to and who they know and what they could do for you.
  5. BEST STAYCATIONS: Everything in LA is a basically a 30 minute drive away. You can be at the beach in the morning splashing around in the ocean, and have a bonfire in the evening at the top of a mountain all in the same day. Palm Springs is just 2 hours away, or Santa Barbara for that matter. It’s easy to escape for a staycation when you live in LA. (Heck, Vegas day trips have been made before..)
  6. ENDLESS AMOUNT OF PALM TREES: Yes this might be strange reason, but you can’t help but love flying into LA and seeing the streets lined with palm trees. It is just a reminder that the beach is just a short drive away from the hustle and bustle. Plus their silhouettes make for some fantastic photos when the sun is setting on that big blue Pacific Ocean.
  7. YOUR TASTE BUDS WILL LOVE YOU: LA has one of the best food scenes in the country. We’ve got such a vast variety of cuisines, we have multiple festivals a year just to showcase it. People travel from all around the world to visit restaurants in LA.
  8. FITNESS CULTURE: People in LA like to look good. A lot of the time it’s for superficial reasons, but hey, who is complaining? Thus, there’s a huge amount of fun fitness activities to participate in. From Crossfit, to Barre classes, to Yoga, to BootCamps – everyone can pick and choose which method to keep them fit and healthy!
  9. DRINK UP: The beer, wine, and mixology scene in LA is fantastic. Which ever beverage you are in the mood for, you can definitely find the hidden bar that specializes in your specific thirst quencher. From dive bars, to breweries, to wineries, to mixology bars, to historic renovated locations, to new and up and coming innovative establishments..you can’t go wrong.
  10. ROLE MODEL: Los Angeles is often times a role model for other cities. Whether it be in the terms of passing a significant bill, changing a law, dealing with environmental issues.. LA is a frontrunner.

If you have any other reasons to add why LA is fantastic – feel free to comment!

Natural Beauty (New Pics!)

Photography, Thoughts

Good day! I wanted to welcome all my new followers I’ve acquired over the past couple of months – thanks & hope you enjoy my blog 🙂 If you are a photographer – be sure to leave a comment if you want be a part of my blog photography challenge.

WOW can you believe how fast Summer has flown by?! With work and weddings pretty much every weekend of the last couple of months, my life has been GO – GO – GO! Once September hits, I can already feel that my life is going to change big time. I might be moving, getting a new job, participating in an international competition… stay tuned for further details 😉 And all of you will be taking that journey with me.

So I promised some photos from my trip to Monterey Bay last month – and I finally had a free day to edit the pics for your viewing pleasure. We went to the Arroyo Seco in Monterey County which is hidden treasure that I suggest EVERYONE goes to see. It’s the perfect activity in the summer time to hike and explore the wilderness.

Also, as my time starts to free up next month – I will continue to post weekly – so don’t you worry! I’ve got some great posts lined up already in my head.

The Rock.
Climbing.
Best Friends!
GoPro Action.