lifting.reach
everett, wa
1 may 2012 - g10, f/4 1/800s, iso-80

it's one thing to be doing a job you love or to be working with the airplanes you always promised you'd be working with as a child, but to be able to do it with friends all around the world? it's joy at a whole new level.

as i type this, the airplane pictured above is passing between the united kingdom and norway, with not much more to go on its journey home. lufthansa has taken home their first 747-8i, which will be the first to enter commercial service in june. it's been many years, many sleepless nights for many people, but when the plane took to the sky and the pilots "waved" goodbye, even for a brief moment i can guarantee you'll see a smile on the faces of these very people.

many of whom are friends. i don't think i could have asked for anything more.

always.love
-j

solo.ensemble
seattle, wa
24 april 2012 - g10, f/4.5 1/4s, iso-400

humanity could be a way into the heart, and if it's followed with pure magical talent, it could very well form the path to holding an audience happily captive.

you can't explain what happened on stage tonight.

you just smile and take it in.

all in.

always.love
-j

needle.shot
seattle, wa
22 april 2012 - g10, f/4.5 0.6s, iso-800

it has been three weekends in a row without rain and while so many seemed to complain that last summer was probably one of the worst ever for this area, i was quite delighted for many reasons. it really wasn't that bad (i've lived in areas where it was worse), and really, it's just another illustration of how many things are all about perspective.

today the weather did reach the magical 70˚F barrier and a part of me wanted to take so many pictures but at the same time the better part of me felt it would detract from planting both feet into appreciating the weather. one can only hope these weekends are hints that we'll soon be experiencing the seattle summer that you hear everyone jokes about when listening to a pacific northwesterner describe the weather.

it doesn't always rain here...

after all of the day's wanderings, there was one shot that simply could not be neglected. it was too perfect and there were so many circumstances that said "you need to do this." consider: a waxing crescent moon, a needle painted in 50th anniversary "galaxy gold", and a sleeveless warm evening with just enough of a hint of light to complement the space needle colour.



with the light having faded hours ago, i still sit outside with my computer on my lap, typing this out with a perfect view of the space needle. this view isn't going to be here forever and i'm not about to take this for granted.

i'm definitely looking forward to summer (and whatever the weather may bring).

always.love
-j

last.calls
seattle, wa
7 april 2012 - g10, f/2.8 1.0s, iso-80

from the large windows on the corner of pine & melrose i've watched so much of seattle and the rest of the world go by. sometimes i could reach out and touch life walking by with a little bit of magic (if i could muster the courage at the time), or i could tap my fingers on a pad of springy buttons and touch the lives of people on the other hemisphere. yes, along these tables you could say was a powerful portal to the outside.

and it had a view, too. the space needle poked through the gap of two buildings on opposite sides of the interstate. with that perfect angle, it provided a perfect spot to just relax and smile at strangers walking by, or maybe turn to a stranger sitting next to you to try and make a connection.

so much of the world would go by in these sittings. i would always come here even when i first moved to the pacific northwest (but lived relatively far from seattle) because it was the coffee shop that was open the latest and once i walked through the doors the first time, i knew i would love the place for its character. i've taken many friends, told many stories and listened to even more sitting at the tables or on the chairs that lined the sidewalk.

growing into the arms of seattle in the comfort of this place (the baristas had fantastic taste in music, too), it's a bit sad to know that the time will be limited. much to a lot of peoples' disappointment, news that the building was sold and would be torn down for another "mixed-use" space didn't really sit well and a lot of the conversations overheard were of that nature.

time will tell what happens, or how the change will fare, but for the time being, you'll probably find me there a bit more in the coming year. the most i can hope for is that they relocate, but there will still be some character in those old windows and the creaky door that will live forever, but only as memories.

at least we can keep those alive.

~ = ~

in a completely different and much more fantastic light: here's one of the must uplifting things i've seen circulating the social media outlets. if you smile easily, you might want to have a box of tissues handy just as a precautionary measure. otherwise, i'll just say this made my day:



i really do like it when people restore my faith in humanity without having to ask them to do it.

~ = ~

in other news: time to keep preparing for that recording session. thursday's coming fast.

always.love
-j

summer.taste
seattle, wa
8 april 2012 - g10, f/2.8 1/1000s, iso-80

when even the breeze is not cool enough to move the jacket from stowage to sleeved, a brief taste of the coming summer is usually more than enough to recharge the senses and ease the mind for a coming week. it's going to be busy but there will still be new opportunities, including stepping in for a violist at a recording session.

not sure how it will turn out, but the only way to find out how is to do it. and if the schedule is willing, why not, right?

many times i talk to people and they can think of any number of reasons not to do something, but if you look at the people that are living lives that we only talk about, they're usually thinking of reasons to do what they do--and then start putting in place the elements to achieve it. there are so many examples, but even to take something as simple as the sunset, there's the same decision: to walk all the way down to a place that has a clear view could be a reason to not make the trek or the view could be reason enough to do it.

excluding cases that are truly out of our control, no matter how close you slice the moment, the very final snap instance of making the decision to move lies inside of us. we must decide to take the first step toward anything we do and if we decide not to or if we decide to settle with something less, we can't blame anyone else but ourselves if we miss out--especially if we've brought others along with us only to back-out at the very last moment (and we cannot blame them for their frustration, either).

yes, seizing opportunity and trying not to let fear be a valid excuse (it's easier said than done) is something that comes from real experience, and no matter how you can prove the truth, however many emails, however many friends (including their best friends) that have witnessed the story firsthand, there will still be others that refuse to believe it. it's human nature, and it's something we all learn to grow as adults--and we should never stop growing.

and we should never use this as a reason to stop living. we should only use this to keep living even better. not in spite, but because we have learned. leave the past behind and take only the lessons and wisdom with you and know that some lessons will really stick.

the key is to keep moving forward and keep living forward. there are too many sunsets to be seen as opposed to fretting over one missed exposure. life isn't all about what we receive--a lesson, whether we like it or not, is always received. life is also about what we've learned.

don't forget to keep learning.

always.love
-j

string.theory
seattle, wa
5 march 2012 - g10, f/4.5 1/5s, iso-800

on the first monday of every month my arm twitches for a dose of culture. relaxed, chill, some good 'ol music making without the pressure of a stage for performance. and on the first monday of each month, there's a place at the bottom of capitol hill where a scene plays out something like this:

someone shows up with a few music stands, a violin, and a backpack of music written for small ensembles. chamber music is what it's called, and way back when, it was music commissioned by the elite of society for usually their own fun, to be played with a group of close friends in an intimate setting. today it's become a genre of classical music that has its intimacy understood but is often experienced in performance for a formal audience.

sometimes it's also fun to take it out of that context and inject a little bit of that historical intimacy back into it.

because in a few minutes, other people will start to trickle in, walking through the door, some with laptops just there to chill, others with instruments looking to play. the format's loose--pick a piece and play it. no rehearsals, no need for absolute perfection. relaxed. low pressure for everyone around. depending on who shows up and what instruments they bring, each month is a bit different but there are always laughs and smiles and good times.

people can walk in and ask their curiosities and the musicians are more than happy to chat--and not everyone that shows up are professional musicians. there's some talent in the seattle woodwork and you can usually find them coming together at these chamber jams.

it's all about fun (i mean, isn't that what most of life is about?) and last time someone just happened to come by after hearing about it on a local blog. they took a few videos, chatting it up with the musicians that would tag-in and tag-out, everyone enjoying the atmosphere. how often are you going to see a mid-measure bass hand-off between two people without dropping a note, or playing beethoven string quartets with an electric bass? purists will cringe, sure, but it's understood that that's not what it's about in this particular frame of reference.

it's all about fun.

if you're in the seattle area, come check it out, have a drink and say hello!

and if you're looking for a good feel for what chamber music is, try esperanza spalding's definition for size :)



sometimes when you're surrounded by culture, you just have to jump right in with both feet.

always.love
-j

~ = ~

during last month's chamber jam, someone brought their harp and some music. what happened? we threw the music on the stands and sight read through it, naturally:



(many thanks to phil for taking the video and letting us share it!)

this whole idea started in san francisco and chapters have since formed all over the world! it's classical revolution!

ghost.peek
seattle, wa
24 march 2012 - g10, f/4 1/800s, iso-80

the days are getting longer and summer is coming.

this is my mantra. well, one of many.

always.love
-j