http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:rayeoflight37&section=today deviantART RSS for by:rayeoflight37 en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:49:10 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/28334780/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/28334780/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:56:45 PST
<3 Lauren

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/27556173/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/27556173/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:34:32 PDT Thank you to everyone who has faved, featured, commented, and watched!! You don't know how much it means to me. I wish I could sell some prints so maybe I'd have some $$ to put towards a subscription  Right now I'm trying to save every penny I can so that I can move out of my parents house and feel like a real adult...

Anyway, I'm itching to go out and take pictures. With two jobs the amount of time to do anything is pretty much nill, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to get out there ASAP. Right now my boyfriend has the D50. He's climbing Mt. Washington and will hopefully have excellent pictures when he gets back. Maybe I should make him get a dA account...hmm...

That's all for now. I hope everyone out there is doing well!

<3 Lauren

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/27241051/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/27241051/ Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:37:36 PDT
I just submitted a news feature yesterday that showcases the work of some really brilliant and underappreciated artists. I hope that you'll all take the time to check it out and give it some favs so that hopefully it will get a little more exposure in the community. I'm constantly being impressed by people here on DA and I want to be able to share the things I find with everyone else.

Here's the link: [link]

On another note I've cleaned up my prints account and am slowly making my way through my gallery... I need to reclaim the dSLR so I can get out and start taking more pictures!! Also, the sunsets/sunrises around here have been thoroughly unspectacular, so I haven't had many opportunities to take pictures as I would like. But hopefully as it gets closer to winter this will be less of an issue.

<3 Lauren

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/27185171/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/27185171/ Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:35:57 PDT
I also made an interesting discovery a little while back. Apparently the way that my mac processes colors is different then the web browser I use or deviantArt itself...or well....its different then something in some way. Regardless, when I upload images to the web they look different then they do in photoshop, so I've been trying to find ways to get around that. If anyone has some thoughts on the problem I'd be happy to get some advice. It's annoying when I get an image to look exactly how I want and then the colors are muted or contrast is lost when it gets put up here.

Ahh well, on a happier note, I'm slowly approaching 3000 pageviews! Since I started on DA I feel like I've learned so much and grown a lot as an artist. I still have a long way to go, but hopefully someday... Anywho, I hope to get out and take more pictures soon

<3 Lauren

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/26301028/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/26301028/ Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:26:43 PDT
Most recently I've been featured in MPhilipPhotography's Women and Nature news/journal feature. You can check them out here: [link] and here: [link] . Please check it out and give love to all the other amazing artists featured.


Also, I'm starting a collection of work from the people who watch me. Please give them some love as well!

Hopefully I'll have more updates soon.

<3 Lauren

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25315700/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25315700/ Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:08:15 PDT
[link]

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25249748/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25249748/ Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:38:58 PDT ). But, never fear! I will make a special collection for those people I like and post the link here, and mayhaps add them to my existing collection. I will do something, regardless. Either way, if you want to share your photos, here is the link to the forum post I started on the subject...

[link]


***UPDATE***

Here is a link to the collection! Thank you for your beautiful submissions!

[link]

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25233706/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25233706/ Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:55:10 PDT The deadline is July 9th for all who are interested in submitting work.


[link]

There's a link to the collection that's been started of all the work being featured.

Hopefully someday people will start to notice my work a little more

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25210670/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25210670/ Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:24:18 PDT Hopefully you'll enjoy some of the pictures that I took!

Lauren

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25210669/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/25210669/ Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:24:18 PDT
]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/13429634/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/13429634/ Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:39:59 PDT
Thanks

Lauren


And by the by...if you haven't already, check out my last journal entry. I listed a bunch of amazing deviants that are worth checking out. So....go do it!

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/10674112/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/10674112/ Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:03:52 PST
*IgorLaptev - Absolutely beautiful landscape and waterscape work.

~jermio - All around awesome photography of varying styles and genres. He does really fantastic color photography and has beautiful macro shots and landscapes.

`gilad - If you haven't seen his work, go do it. Now. I'm ordering you. Insipiring, beautiful...just...yeah. Do it.

=Gwarf - He's got some really spiffy conceptual/abstact kinda stuff. He's also got some really nice IR landscapes.

*audeladesombres - Works magnificently in black and white. View his gallery as a whole portfolio. It's almost like a living, breathing, changing thing in and of itself. Some of his photographs stand out more than others, but collectively they have this general mood and theme. It's like he's taking you on a journey through the streets of France, giving you little bits and pieces at a time.

=er0k - His work almost seems surrealistic, with his blending of layers and textures over images of trucks and gothic style buildings or barnes and farm houses that are barely still standing. His work is unique, but bold, detailed, and carefuly constructed.

~barnes - Stunning landscapes, gorgeous work in b&w.

*Aegis-Strife - I've never been much of a photomanipulator, but his pieces are amazing. Every image is carefully constructed with brilliant symbolism, and painstaking detail. You can tell how much time and effort and thought is put into every deviation in his gallery.

*reeejoice - She takes lovely photographs. I also like how she's got this sort of collection of images that give a window into her world and her perspective on it. Some of her images are of simple things, but through a creative use of color, DOF, framing and composition become interesting and even compelling.


So there folks. A few of my favoriate DA artists that I think you should go check out. I'm always looking for new people to inspire me, show me what we can be capable of with a camera and a little imagination Oh, and I'm almost at a 1,000 pageviews....whoo! It's exciting.

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/10659768/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/10659768/ Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:34:57 PST Cause I won't remember...


Yeah, I really <3 that Filter song.


Anyway, school is CRAZY, and I'm feeling the call of my camera once again. It's been a while since I've taken any pictures, and I'd like to get back out there and take some more. I'd also really like to make some significant improvements in various aspects of my work, so we'll see how that goes. I think I'd like to recruit some of the people on my floor to be a lighting/portraiture experiment for me..hmmm...

I also have to do a project for my extremely frustrating music class. The class makes me want to punch someone in the face, but this project at least is interesting. Part of it will involve me taking pictures of my little brother playing his guitar, so I'm hoping to get some really awesome shots that I can share here.

So that's an update on my life for the time being. Slowly but surely I'm learning new things, making changes, doing what I can to be a better ar-teest. And of course, constructive criticism is always welcome. As of right now I feel like I don't get a lot of exposure, so I'd also like to work on that.

Well, that's all until next time

]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/9074411/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/9074411/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 07:36:16 PDT
Should I get a prints account?
Yeah, so its only $25. When I think about the amount of money I spend on eating out and getting coffee in a week, it really doesn't seem all that bad. I think I'd like it even if just to be able to print my own pictures for myself and for my friends/family. However, it would be nice if I could actually make some money from being able to sell my prints. Do you think anyone would actually buy prints of my artwork? I know that I need to get myself out there more, and that I should probably start uploading more deviations. But lets say, in maybe a few months after getting down to some serious business publicizing and taking more pictures, do you think it'd be worth it?

Now, see, my own personal opinion is that I need to grow as an artist some. I need to take some time reading as much as I can about different techniques and master more techinical knowhow in order to broaden my understanding of what I'm actually doing, as well as actually get out there and play around more. I think that'll improve the quality of the pictures that I'm taking, as well as allow me to have more control over the results I get and somehow manage to really take the pictures I invision. Basically I just need more experience, which comes with time and effort, and I need a little more self education.

However, I also know that I'm slightly hindered by my equipment. I finally found my mom's old tripod (yay!) which is going to help me A LOT, especially in low light conditions. But more specifically I'm referring to my camera. Now, it does its job, and I bought it knowing that it had some manual controls and the ability to take relatively good macro shots. However, as I'm mastering more stuff, the more it feels like it isn't quite doing the job as well as I'd like. At 100% my photographs are pretty grainy, and I have to shrink them down considerably for the quality to look okay. This is one thing I worry about when it comes to getting a prints account. I don't know that much about resolutions and DPI and stuff like that, so I'm not sure if the photographs I take would meet the quality specs they need to to be made into prints. Plus, I really need to master more of photoshop, calibrate my computer monitor, think about getting more hard drive space to store all this stuff and ahhhhh yeah...as you can see I feel that there is a lot to think about. I'd really appreciate any general feedback.

Anyway, this really brings me to my next big question...

Should I invest in a digital SLR?
I'm getting to that point where I'd reeeeally like to have a DSLR. The only problem is that it'll easily be an upwards of $1,000 investment to make. I suppose if I'm going to get really serious about photography and actually use it and print my pictures then yeah, perhaps it'd be worth it. I guess that's more of a personal decision that I have to come to terms with. I just also know that the quality of the pictures I can take would greatly increase. I mean, in terms of the actual things being photographed and the ideas I'm trying to convey, it doesn't really matter what medium I'm using. The quality of the artwork in and of itself in a subjective way isn't what I'm talking about. With a DSLR I'd have a greater range of f-stops, a greater range of shutter speeds and ISO settings, which would open up huge doors for me in terms of the kinds of photographs I could take. I'd have manual focus (ugh you have no idea how much I miss that...), the ability to use filters (so I can do IR photography), and basically a whole lot more control over my images than I currently have, not to mention the fact that the quality of the digital image in and of itself is usually a lot better (more clear, less grainy, etc.). So....yeah. I mean, I'm trying to take advantage of my trusty little point and shoot as much as possible, but I feel that it can only go so far in terms of taking more professional looking photographs.

What are your opinions on this? I could really use some people's thoughts, or also, some help clarifying some mysteries I have about print accounts and such. Hopefully I'll come to some kind of conclusion soon... ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8814229/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8814229/ Fri, 19 May 2006 06:51:07 PDT
I just feel such a lack of art in my life, which never used to happen. Painting, drawing, photography, music, prose, everything and anything I can do I want to do. Why am I not an art major?? Seriously... I don't know what's wrong with me. The one thing I'm passionate about I'm too scared to follow. You know, I think that's what it comes down to. I was too scared to go to art school. To scared that I wasn't good enough, too scared that I wouldn't get a job, too scared that people would think I was copping out when I should be a math and science kind of gal. But art is what makes me feel alive. I could spend hours and hours in my basement painting and feel like only 5 minutes had passed. But now it looks like it's too late for me to do it. Maybe someday I'll go back to school and take some art classes, save myself from going crazy.

Art is life...I don't know what I'd do without it. ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8794748/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8794748/ Wed, 17 May 2006 04:00:31 PDT
All right...off to start another fantastic day... ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8785392/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8785392/ Tue, 16 May 2006 05:38:57 PDT
At least I've got some stuff to look forward to. Wednesday I'm getting together with my friend Tony for chinese and movies! Then this weekend is Alex's partaaaay!! Ahh that'll be so much fun! I really miss my ballroom friends, so it'll surely be super to see them ^_^ Tonight perhaps I'll call Jeff up and see what he's doing. I'm happy that since we broke up the two of us have been able to maintain a friendship...actually we're still really comfortable around each other which is very nice. I hate being on bad terms with people, I really do.

Anywho, yesterday was kind of miserable for the most part, just feeling particularly lonely and nostalgic, but getting to see Michelle cheered me up quite a bit. I haven't talked to her in ages, probably since we graduated, so it was really wonderful catching up. Sometime we'll have to get together again and hot tub it up...oh boy would that be nice after a long day of counting bacteria and doing flow and integrity testing...

I dunno, I think this summer won't be so bad after all. The girls at work are cool, so I think my days will be all right, and I'm making money which I desperately need. And then I'll have dance lessons every tuesday night starting next week, and will be seeing people after work to unwind and catch up and such, and probably road tripping and partying it up every weekend. There's so much going on between parties and weddings and concerts and stuff that I need to keep track of that I should probably invest in a planner of some sort.

Well, I suppose that's all. So much to think about my mind is buzzing! Ahh! But don't worry, I'll always be taking pictures in the meantime, I can't live without art... ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8747002/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8747002/ Fri, 12 May 2006 06:40:26 PDT
I'm currently on vacation in Naples, which, by the way, is absolutely gorgeous. I think I'm in the most beautiful place I've ever been, which might not be saying a lot since I haven't had the opportunity to travel very much. Anyway, I've been taking lots and lots of pictures, hopefully will have a few new deviations to upload when I get back. I'm just not looking forward to returning to 60 degree weather and rain. In less than two weeks I went from winter, to spring, to summer, and now back to spring. If you ask me, I'm quite content staying here on the gulf coast with the palm trees ^_^...alas, I must return to CT and working full time as a lab tech and all that fun junk... At least when I get back many of my friends will be coming back from school. I'm very happy that Uconn let us out a week earlier than everyone else so I could squeeze in this nice holiday before everyone else returns and I have to start working.

Anywho, there are a few certain people that I can't WAIT to see because it's been far too long since the last time I did. There'll surely be lots and lots of mischief and mayhem, hugs, scrubs marathons, sunrise watching, starbucks outings, and plenty of other good things as well. I've been looking forward to the summertime for a while, even though it sucked to say goodbye to my ballroom friends. I know I'll see them randomly over the summer, but it's not quite the same as seeing them practically every day.

Oh...le sigh. It's funny, having this week away to myself has been nice. It's giving me a chance to reflect on things, be a little quiet, read, think, refresh myself. And getting to know Liz better has been really nice. She's been filling me in on my family history, telling me stories that I never got a chance to hear. We actually had a whole conversation about reincarnation and such, because she says that I have a very distinct look that isn't quite like anyone from the family. That perhaps I have a regal spirit...who knows?

I did find out though that my hopeless romantic nature might just be somewhere in my blood. Liz told me about my great grandparents on my grandpa DellaFera's side, and because it's such a nice story, I think I'll share it. So, my great grandparents Vitella DeVito and Joseph DellaFera lived in Calabritto, a little Italian village off in the mountains of southern Italy. Joseph's family was the wealthiest in town, having many Olive groves and such, while Vitella's family was much more modest. However, since they were in elementary school my great grandfather had always admired Vitella from afar. Then, when they were a bit older both of them separately went off to the Americas to start a better life. My great grandmother moved to the Hartford area and my great grandfather went down to Virginia. According to Liz my great grandfather was running around with a lot of women (haha, maybe I have pimp blood in me too...) and the relative he was staying with in Virgina told him that maybe he should think about settling down and getting married. My great grandfather said that there wasn't anyone he'd met here he'd really want to marry, and that the only person he could really think of was Vitella. He then somehow found out she was in the Americas and got in contact with her, started writing her love letters about how he'd make her a queen for the rest of her life and put her up on a pedestal, etc. etc., and then the two of them eventually met up, got married and had 8 kids! I find that slightly amusing. That and the fact that my parents and my great grandparents, and maybe even my grandparents all grew up together and went to school together and then ended up getting married later in life...maybe that's a sign...???


Hmmm....well, I'll contemplate that over breakfast. ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8509212/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8509212/ Tue, 18 Apr 2006 10:06:41 PDT

Anywho, I've been doing uber updating now that I've finally sort of learned how to use photoshop. So be sure to check out some of my older deviations cause I've fixed them up quite a bit. I also plan on adding more and more pictures, hey, maybe I'll even have a decent gallery eventually! Granted all I have is my trusty point and shoot, but even still, it's taken some nice pictures. The macro on it is super for a $300 camera.

And thanks to everyone for the comments and favs, I appreciate it muchly :-D ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8149314/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/8149314/ Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:49:46 PST ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/4456134/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/4456134/ Sun, 30 Jan 2005 18:24:53 PST ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/2091881/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/2091881/ Fri, 26 Mar 2004 21:02:30 PST [link] ]]> ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/2010765/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/2010765/ Sun, 14 Mar 2004 12:42:50 PST ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/1993956/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/1993956/ Thu, 11 Mar 2004 15:37:43 PST ~rayeoflight37 http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/1987133/ http://rayeoflight37.deviantart.com/journal/1987133/ Wed, 10 Mar 2004 13:31:12 PST ~rayeoflight37