'Round and 'Round

I made my first venture into the Coliseum (where the School of Mass Communications and Journalism is located) to turn in my change of major form after I was given the run around by the Education office.
Needless to say, I did not succeed. I walked around in a big circle, aimlessly wandering like your typical freshman would. I still possess the simple form that will change my college career and my future.
In short: dammit.

Now I'm on my way to the School of Music to take a few pictures for a friend's portfolio. The favor made me think of an idea for a drumline fund raiser: a risqué calendar featuring the drumline covering their good parts with various drums, cymbals and percussion instruments. It could possibly be the greatest idea I've ever had.

What is it about the smell of coffee that dusts off the gears in my mind? I had so many wonderful analogies and anecdotes while standing in line for my Grande Café Vanilla Frappuccino with whipped cream (I'm a fat ass, what can I say?).
Since I'm constantly thinking about photography and my future in it, I thought about what it takes to make someone truly stand out as a talented photographer. It's not how big your external flash is or how many mega pixels and lenses you possess, but rather how well you capture the essence of a moment. An exemplary photographer doesn't change their environment, but works around it to take it all in. A photographer makes sacrifices by contorting their body in unimaginable ways and even getting down and dirty sometimes to get that shot. Photography is a vision. If a stranger can look at your pictures and feel the emotion attached to the situation or feel the atmosphere of the place you've shot, then you have succeeded. Of course, in this digital age, photo manipulation and post processing can make a world of difference in the quality of your photographs, but starting with a great raw shot is the true key to amazing photography. To quote the great sage Stewart Gilligan Griffin,

"Every hot girl that can aim a camera thinks she's a photographer. Oh, you took a black and white picture of a lawn chair and it's shadow and developed it at Save-On. You must be so brooding and deep."

I love accents and language. They tell so much about a person that cannot be said (I mean, of course they say it, but it's the underlying context we're talking about here). I took a moment to think about the way 3 different people spoke in line at Starbucks.
There was an older lady in a yellow jacket with a gold brooch just ahead of me. As I predicted, a classy and genteel Southern accent poured from her mouth like a fine aged wine. Her every mannerism was the picture of a refined and educated lady of the South.
I also noticed a girl that attempted to dress in a stylish manner, but was not quite hitting the mark. She wore a white top and a black skirt with a hounds tooth coat and leopard print flats. She spoke very softly and I think I heard the slight hint of a British accent. She carried herself with a kind of awkward grace. It was apparent she was out of her element, but still floated above everyone around her, like she was some kind of royal jewel. She took her time when she moved and made way for no one to pass.
Then I stepped up to order. I'm trying to self analyze, so cut me some slack. I was kind of annoyed with the soft-spoken nature of the two women ahead of me, so I opened my big trap and in my low-pitched and swift, accent less voice said "Hi, I'll have a Grande Cafe Vanilla Frappuccino."
"Whipped cream?"
"Yes."
"And your name?" (My least favorite part of the Starbucks ordering experience.)
"Mar-"
"What?"
"Mary."
No one at Starbucks ever hears my name the first time. Almost every time I order, I have to repeat myself. I know I'm soft-spoken and I mumble from time to time, but this time I actually made a conscious effort to be a bit more audible. Maybe it's just the unusualness of my name nowadays. I have an old-fashioned name in a modern society. Surprise! I was born to be different and nostalgic for simpler times. I'm old-fashioned in a lot of ways.