nefarious know how belongs to jennifer yin, the bittermelon

belly up

jenn — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 04:13:17 +0000

I don’t know what to say. I’m hungry right now.

Dan Dan eats dan dan mian

jenn — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:09:21 +0000

Ghost ship in a storm

jenn — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:17:53 +0000

Lebensabschnittspartner

jenn — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:20:16 +0000

“People taught me all sorts of (German) words, but the only ones that stuck were Kaiserschnitt, which means Cesarean section, and Lebensabschnittspartner. This doesn’t translate to “lover” or “life partner” but, rather, to “the person I am with today,” the implication being that things change, and you are keeping yourself open.”

dog days

jenn — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:18:34 +0000

I’m with you, buddy.

Pup pup

jenn — Fri, 13 May 2011 07:42:53 +0000

I would kill to have a dog again.

phantoms

jenn — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:55:12 +0000

A project at work has caused me to ponder the word “phantom” and all its many meanings and interpretations. Looking back at old photos of friends, this picture in particular evokes at least two meanings of the word for me.

melt in your mouth

jenn — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 06:42:59 +0000

Trying to collect pictures of myself with egg creams is so 2007 of me, so I’m thinking a new additional personal meme should be pictures of me with tubs of cheese balls. The thing is, tubs of cheese balls are equally elusive and rare (and delish) as egg creams. And in case you were wondering, the pictured Simplify brand is way too salty but the Target brand rivals Planter’s. And yes, this is the kind of piddling stuff I think about on the eve of my 30th birthday while my peers are procreating and buying homes and being Adults.

sometimes I feel this way

jenn — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:03:58 +0000

ps – the Auld Lang Syne in the background catapults this from endearing to almost emotional for me

“the happiest day of my life”

jenn — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 06:45:36 +0000

Last month I had the great honor and luck to shoot my very first wedding, thanks to Susie, the maid of honor who recommended me to the bride. I was nervous and stressed leading up to the wedding. Being trusted with documenting someone’s big day is enormous pressure, and I wanted to make sure “expectations were managed” before I signed on for anything. I am far from the skilled photographer I’d like to be, I have almost no gear at all, no fancy tools or tricks of the trade, nothing. So, I REALLY had to bring it.

Even though I couldn’t have asked for a more comfortable, hospitable atmosphere to shoot in, I was unhappy with the photos and very disappointed in myself; the results fell far from my standards. However, everything else was basically perfect. I got to stay the night in Monterey, drive Susie’s sweet ride, enjoy warm weather, and most importantly, get invaluable experience.

Weeks later, after spending hours on editing, I finally sent the online album to the bride and then gave her matte prints recently at dinner. My new drug now is hearing a bride tell me how much she genuinely loves my photos, that her and her husband watched the slideshow over and over; I LOVED watching her and her friends pour over every individual photo with relish, sometimes exclaiming, “That’s one of my favorites!” or “Ooh, I love that one!” It’s incredibly fulfilling, especially when she said it was the happiest day of her life, as well as the best wedding she’d ever been to. I felt so good to be a part of something so special. Inside, I was beaming with joy.

Ultimately, what matters is that the bride and groom are happy with the photographs. I’m still cringingly self-conscious of these photos, but even if I never shoot a wedding again, the experience was totally enriching and rewarding.