All About The Birds: The White Tailed Kite (Elanus Leucurus)
My first spotting of this bird was at the Yolo Bypass auto loop, right off the I-80 in between Davis and Sacramento. I was completely enamored by the sight of a bird flying high, and hovering perfectly in place on a day with a moderate breeze (probably around 14-16mph). I’ve never seen a bird hover with so much control, apart from a hummingbird, so it was hypnotizing to see it soar, and come to a complete stop mid-flight. What’s more is it’s diving form (not captured here) was awesome—it spreads its wings completely at a pitched angle, descended heaven-like, and did so without flap or falter. It was like watching a single feather elegantly falling in slow motion.
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An Essay on Technology: Shoot "Point-And-Shoot", supported by a review of the Sony RX100 VII.
I hate taking photos and video with my phone. The image quality sucks, often the composition sucks too, and most of the time I can’t remember where they are on my camera roll because there’s so much in it (important documents, memes, random screenshots). This post serves as a follow up to the philosophy I established in response to my complaints of phoneography. This is largely going to be a review of Sony’s “point-and-shoot” (aka compact camera) offering, the RX100 VII. I only had it for two weeks, but I put it through its paces. I aim for this post to also demonstrate how capable, and how easy it can be to capture moments with the clarity and eloquence an actual camera is meant to deliver.
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An Essay On Technology: Put Down Thy iPhone, and Pick Up A Camera
I live by Chase Jarvis’ words that the best camera is the one with me, but if it means my iPhone, then I think much more than my photography and videography is at stake. I used to see life with a certain, photographic gaze. Through lenses, optical view finders, and in both the highest of print and digital resolutions. Nowadays, it’s all screens, and in the smallest and dimmest of quality. The way I process images, both in producing and consuming them, is changing, and I’m not quite sure I like the direction it’s taking.
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How Fast Can We Be Delivered?
This paper aims to explore the fast pace and paralyzing eco-consciousness found within the entirety of the first section, and the transition that happens in the second section of Graham’s prose poem, “Self Portrait at Three Degrees.” Graham’s writing is at its best when depicting the current thought process put up against contemporary ideas, but resists providing a sort of background, reason, or resolve to those thoughts.
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Riddles on the Surface
This paper aims to explore the connotations riddled throughout Gary Snyder’s poem, “Ripples on the Surface.” Snyder is at his best when describing nature as it is, but where this poem in particular boasts poetic clarity, there lacks some concreteness of what he means to make clear apart from the objective poetics.
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Thoreau's Woods: The Foliage of His Words
This paper aims to explore the transformative meanings that become apparent when understanding the depth of Thoreau’s passage that begins with, “I went to the woods...” This precursor paragraph states his case of moving to the woods and makes the claim that the action is motivational towards living with more intention. He is at his best in writing his aims with brevity and clarity; however, a closer read reveals the complexity and impact of his simple message.
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