Sleepless nights

So we recently went to Avignon and got to visit the Palais des Papes and the Petit Palais. The day trip was really nice because we got to go to another town and do a couple of field trips but also have time to hang around and relax for a bit. I think that the Palais des Papes was probably my favorite place we visited that day simply because the lighting inside of it was so beautiful. I got caught up photographing my friends under that great light as opposed to the architecture and such.  The town of Avignon itself was really quite interesting. It was like a strange medium between Lacoste and Paris in the fact that it wasn't completely deserted but at the same time it wasn't completely swamped with people. I found a lot of the scenery there to be much more inspiring on that particular day than the typical scenery of Lacoste.

Allison, looking wonderful in the tasty lighting of the Palais des Papes

Emily and Emma enjoying the sunshine through the window

Emily

Allison caught slightly off gaurd

Sarcophagi 

The super awesome Jeep on the street in Avignon! This one is for my Dad!

So After Avignon we returned to Lacoste and back to the endless stresses of finals week and Vernissage. I plan to be hanging 4 photo pieces and 2 printmaking pieces.  In addition to getting everything ready for Vernissage I've been working on my Photo Final which is a digital pinhole project. Sara Keith and I built one together and were actually quite pleased with the outcome. I really enjoy shooting this way as well and I think it works well with my concept since I'm trying to capture the feeling of a place and the feeling of being around a certain person. I really like the hazy and dreamlike feel that the images put out. The following images are really just some experiments, but I'm getting very excited about my final images and how they're going to turn out. Even if I have to pull multiple all nighters, I'm glad I'm feeling very inspired. 

My shoes.

Pants Cat and I sitting together

Allison

And the walls crumbled beneath our feet.

On Thursday we visited Oppedes de le Vieux, which proved to be quite a peculiar town. The village is completely ancient and is made up of an interesting mix of ruins in a complete state of disrepair and people who have renovated some of the spaces and continue to live there. The city sits on the the side of the Luberon and the view looking down into the gorge is quite amazing. While the scenery was beautiful and there was much excitement about getting to the top of the city, I found myself distracted by dense trees and cool shade. I ended up racing one of my friends to see who could climb a tree faster, and then we soon found ourselves laying on the thick branches joined by our two other friends just looking at the sky and talking. It may seem odd to be lying in a tree when I'm minutes away from an ancient village, but in a way I feel that this is part of the reason I came to France. I wanted to explore and have adventures at my own leisure. It seems that every time we have a field trip I end up having a more exciting adventure every singe time.

After resting in the tree for a bit, we decided to go up to the cafe in the lower portion of the town. I had brought my fathers old Vivtar Flash, and had figured out it work on my digital camera just earlier that day. So I decided to start experimenting with it. the architecture and ruins were beautiful, but lately I've just been wanting to photograph my friends and the moments we have together. They seem so fleeting, and so impermanent. I ended up really liking the aesthetic that follows and I'd like to keep using the flash.

Allison sipping a coffee at the local Cafe

Myself, enjoying a cafe  creme

Kyle with his infamous camera rig.

Kyle

Derek

Allison

Allison

Sara

Shannon

Memories of Paris and Cedar Trees

So let’s talk Paris some more! In looking back on it I would have to say that my only regret is not having the money or the time to stay longer. It was easy to get frazzled with so much to get done in one day, every day. And trying to see any place in the world in 5 days feels so rushed to me. Nonetheless, the city was great. It was definitely culture shock for myself, but it was still wonderful. Living in Lacoste had made me forget about a lot of the technologies and little things that I’ve become so accustomed too. We had a television in our hotel room and I remember the first thing we did was turn it on, and watch in silence. It was so strange to find myself mesmerized by something so ordinary. I hadn’t realized how much I saw a television every day until it was brought to my attention. 

Out of all the museums we went to, I’d have to say the Musée d’Orsay was my favorite., even though the Louvre held the Raft of the Medusa, along with many of my other favorite works I’ve always dreamt of seeing. However; the Musée d’Orsay had a Crim and Punishment exhibit up. We had to pay to get in because it wasn’t covered with our school ticket, however it was the best euro and fifty cents I’ve ever spent. I was lucky enough to see two Atget prints, an entire section on the Bertillion System with crime scene photos Bertillion took himself. Also they had works by Warhol, Bresson, Giacometti, Grosz ,Goya and Gericault. It was nothing short of phenomenal. 

After we arrived back in Lacoste, a few days later we went on hike through the cedar forest of Bonnieux. It was incredibly beautiful and really a date day to go. Originally we expecting to get rained on the entire time. But we managed to plan our trip around it. I think of all of our little trips I enjoyed the Cedar Forest the most. Perhaps it was the feeling of being so small amongst the tall trees, or even just being out and about with the people here that I have come to love so dearly. Either way, It was very rejuvenating and therapeutic and it helped bring me back down from all the stress for a moment and to just absorb. The sights, the smells, the sounds. It was all so peaceful. I particularly enjoyed climbing as many huge trees as I could and allowing myself to be a young, free spirited little beast again. 

The Poppies are starting to come out, and I get so happy every time I see one. They're my favorite after all.

Freshly cut cedar trees. The smell made me miss home, and the sculpture lab in Atlanta of course.

Beautiful Trees.

More Lovely Trees.

Our Group Photo Afterwards. I used a rock for a tripod.