Popsicle sticks in flight.

My roommates Cole and Mark were making adhesive-free structures made solely of popsicle sticks that "explode" when pressure is applied in the right area. Thankfully, they support my photography addiction and made some especially for me to photograph as they detonated.

My first camera obscura.

I've always wanted to try making my own camera obscura. In my History & Aesthetics of Photography class, the professor explained how to create one and told us to make our own as a final project. I wanted to practice before I made one to be graded, and this is the result.

Herbz McGurbz.

      For a little less than a year now, I've been pondering adopting a bunny rabbit. I really needed something to snuggle and love and fill this void I have in my heart. I decided early on that I would name him Herbie. I'm not sure why that name struck me, but it did, and it turns out someone close to me also had a pet named Herbie when she was younger. Taking this as a sign, I kept turning over the idea in my head, thinking about whether I would have time to care for another life, and where I would even keep it, since I reside in a different place every year or so. Over the summer, some close family-friends offered me a free bunny cage--which happens to be the most expensive part of buying a bunny--another good sign. I graciously accepted it and brought it to college with me just in case. It's a good thing I did, because after months of deliberation, I went to the pet store yesterday and allowed my heart to be melted by this little fur-ball:

Say hello to little baby Herbie.
He says hi back.
He poops everywhere, but we're working on it.

The learning process.

Krista Carpenetti © 2011

       I had never used Photoshop® before I attended RIT. So needless to say, my brain is constantly overwhelmed with all of the fabulous new ways I can manipulate my precious images. After some one-on-one instructing and a quite a few Internet tutorials, this is what I have done with a picture of my friend Zach that I took last week. It took about six hours, and I'll probably add more to it as I learn about new methods and tools. For now, it shall serve as my newest masterpiece.

Morning.

I shot and edited this video this morning. Don't ask me how I managed it.

Abrupt.

This is what happens when I learn how to use professional video and audio equipment paired with professional editing software. The goal was to create a rhythm, but I got kind of carried away in the end. I recommend watching it twice just to get a feel for the beat.
PS: That's my hand flicking the lighter. I had some trouble.
And yes, that's my maniacal laughter in the end.

I miss you.

That is all.

The face.

      So, I went on my first outing to a club. Never having been a part of that scene, I was glad to find out that my friends and I were headed to a gay club, where heterosexual and "grabby" men would not typically thrive (so I hoped). Well, about twenty minutes into our adventure, after we got the "under 21" X's on our hands and inched our way past the bar and to the dance floor, I encountered an unpleasant surprise. A man about half my height, twice my age and three times my width attempted to dance with me. I thought, "Heck, this is awkward for me, and instead of pushing him away and running, I'll try to make this awkward for both of us. From the moment he pulled me in, I made this face and DID NOT STOP:

I, with my exceeding amount of image manipulation skills, attempted to recreate the lighting and overall visual atmosphere (as well as an accurate viewing angle) for the moment this stranger and I shared.

      As I mercilessly glared at him like this, he stood on tip-toe and yelled in my ear, "You're so beautiful." I slightly faltered at this, and said "Thank you?" with a question-like tone. Apparently he wasn't getting the message. So when he raised my hand and backed up insinuating that I twirl or whatever, I started doing the robot. I didn't even stop when he came closer. I just twitched and glitched and shifted mechanically (still with this face, mind you) and slowly began to slide away. I exited his vicinity and then made a run for it. 

And so goes the recreational life of Krista Carpenetti.