youthtographer

sleepwalking

2012-03-04T09:29:00.004-08:00

This weekend was marked by a little bit of laziness due to the fact that I'm currently fighting off sickness likely caused from exhaustion and stress. I'm not always the best at prioritizing, though; the weekend is the only time of the week that I don't feel weighed down by tasks and assignments so I wasn't about to sacrifice the entire weekend staying in.

On Thursday evening, I went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art with Maddie and Allie because the museum was holding a free event for college students in honor of the opening of some new galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia. We had a fun time getting dressed up, but the event itself was a little disappointing because it was more remniscient of a high school prom.

Friday evening started off early with an impromptu dance party in Maddie's room before she, Eden, and Luis went off to a concert in Brooklyn. Vanessa and I thought about going, but felt a little too tired to make the subway trek. We all danced to loud tunes from the 50s and Chicago The Musical. One of my favorite moments thus far with friends here in New York City.

Eden.

Maddie.

Luis.

After people left for Brooklyn, Vanessa and I stayed back and she showed me some inspiring fashion campaign videos. That night, I fell in love with Prada. I'm probably the last person on this earth to have seen the beautifully orchestrated Spring/Summer 2012 campaign video, but if you have not seen it I encourage you to do so.

Myself, wearing Vanessa's chic specs.

Laziness in the Study Lounge with Vanessa.

Later, Vanessa and I went out $1 pizza in the rain and met up with my friends Graham and Miles and some of their friends at their dorm where we sat around listening to some jazz, which was a nice mix between relaxing and social. I ended running into a bunch of friends who live in the building and whom I hadn't seen in awhile, which was a wonderful surprise.

Saturday daytime was spent "studying" with friends. About an hour into studying at the library, we took a break for smoothies and found the sociable dining hall to be a more enticing (and distracting) place to get work done.

After spending the entire day cooped up doing work, I felt anxious to get dressed up. I put on my grungy grandma-esque sweaters and a beanie (Maddie said I looked like Mary-Kate, the ultimate compliment in my book). Vanessa styled and lent me her navy blue maxi to finish off my homeless-chic outfit.

That evening, I went out to dinner with some of my favorites, Logan and Sandy. We found a wonderful, little (literally) crepe restaurant on St. Mark's where we enjoyed cheap grub and eachother's company.

Midterms are this week, which means I'm about to go temporarily crazy with stress. Fortunately, though, my mom will be visiting all the way from California for this coming weekend and Spring Break is next week when my best friend, Jess, will be visiting from Arizona as well.

P.S. for those who are interested in my fashion/editorial work, I have a very exciting shoot coming up within the next few weeks and a few others in the works. Can't wait to start taking advantage of the networking here in the city..!

Happy Spring to those who have some time off from school or are getting some warm weather back into their life!

xx Jacqueline

a mixture of rain and sunshine

2012-02-27T08:48:00.002-08:00

The last few weekends have been quite busy, with Fashion Week finally winding down and schoolwork picking back up as midterms near. Last weekend, my friend (and occasional muse) Kelsie came to visit.

I took Kelsie to many of my favorite spots, including Central Park, where we strolled around with my good friend and fellow Californian, Hilary who hadn't been up to the Park since she came to NYU.

I stay fairly central to Downtown out of convenience, but I've been to Midtown/Times Square area three times in the past two weeks. Times Square is a fun sight with its lights that emulate a daytime atmosphere at all hours of the evening. No matter how corny and overrated Times Square is in my mind, when I'm standing there amongst all the moving advertisements and news tickers, I understand how strange and wonderful it is that I live here.

Two nights later I ended up back in Times Square, coincidentally, with my friend Luka, where we went to a tucked away Japanese restaurant for a midnight dinner.

My third encounter in Times Square was this past Friday, to visit a wonderful family friend, Dennis, who lives just a block from all the glamour and lights of Times Square. Dennis' niece was visiting and he was so kind to invite me to join them for a lovely dinner and show combo.

We went to Barbetta, an authentic Italian restaraunt in the heart of the Theater District that's been around for more than 100 years. As soon as we walked through the door, I felt as if I had walked into another time period, something remniscient of the 40s or 50s. The dining area was adorned with beautiful chandeliers and everyone was dressed impeccably in classy garb.

After dinner, we went to see "Wit" starring Cynthia Nixon as a dying cancer patient. The play, which has won the Pulitzer Prize, was absolutely amazing. Cynthia Nixon really established a wonderful presence on stage. I'm not too much of a theatergoer but I was entranced by her evocative performance and the plot.

On Saturday I made my way to the Juergen Teller exhibition with my friend Vanessa and her friend Zoe who was visiting for the weekend.

I was very impressed by Teller's pieces, it's so intriguing to see his more personal work, as I am more often exposed to his fashion-related work with clients such as Marc Jacobs. We strolled through a few more galleries in the neighborhood and then walked home through Soho.

We stumbled upon Georgetown Cupcakes, which just opened on Mercer Street and has absolutely delicious, carefully crafted cupcakes for the reasonable price of $3 (tax included).

The most exciting part of Saturday, though, lasted only a few seconds. As Vanessa, Zoe, and I headed further up Mercer Street and towards Houston, we walked right past the Grace Coddington, Creative Director of American Vogue. It was so funny, since the three of us had been talking about Grace earlier that day and Zoe's phone background is a picture of Grace. I guess that's New York for you. Grace was on the phone so we decided not to bother her, but I'm sure if I've seen her twice in two weeks, we'll likely run into her again someday.

Listening to: "Origins" by Tennis

I'll be seeing them in concert within the next two weeks, so excited!

P.S. I can't believe it's almost March?!

nyfw f/w 2012//wednesday

2012-02-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday's drizzly weather was hardly a deterrent to NYFW; while people wore big coats to keep dry, they refused to sacrifice style.

The first show I went to that morning was Jeremy Scott, whose audience is unlike any other designer's. If you take a look at Scott's newest collection, inspired by Bart Simpson, it all begins to make sense why Scott pulls in such a quirky crowd.

Had a fan girl moment when I saw Sky Ferreira!

After Jeremy Scott, it was back to Lincoln Center for J. Mendel. While some of Jeremy Scott''s audience spilled over into Lincoln Center, the vibe definitely changed as the outfits became a lot more refined.

Natalie, one of my favorite fashion bloggers !

Leandra of The Man Repeller!

Had a few celeb sightings: Nina Garcia of Marie Claire, Kate Lanphear of Elle, and Ramona from The Real Housewives of New York City!

I am so very thankful that I had the opportunity to be a part of Fashion Week this time around and I cannot wait for the next NYFW...hope to make this a routine!

nyfw fall 2012// monday

2012-02-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

As part of my photography internship at StyleCaster, I was given the wonderful opportunity to do some street style reporting for the site during NYFW!

It's strange realizing that just a year ago I was searching through street style blogs admiring all of the inspiring faces of NYFW, and here I am photographing them this time around.

I have to admit it's extremely intimidating being surrounded by people with such wonderful ways of putting together classy yet thought-provoking outfits. I tried my best to dress fashion forward but professional, only to be shown up by dozens of other photographers who looked like the street style stars themselves. Wednesday, I promise I'll be more prepared!

Monday morning I headed over to Lincoln Center around 10 a.m. to hang out around Alice Tuly Hall where Rachel Roy's Fall 2012 presentation was being shown. Since the venue had gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows, I got a peek at her beautiful collection, despite being there to document street style.

Here are some of the chic trendsetters I came across!

Pictured below is a lovely FIT student and model named Caitlin Corcoran wearing a breathtaking spiked dress by her friends' up & coming label, DOZANI!

I hung around the fountain at Lincoln Center where patrons from the Carolina Herrera show were exiting in the packs. Small little "squee" moments were when Grace Coddington of Vogue walked right past me, as well as Andrew Bevan of Teen Vogue.

As I was leaving Lincoln Center to head over to Chelsea, I ran right into Kristin Cavalleri who was kind enough to let me snap a shot of her. She is always seen as a "bitch" on reality shows, but I have to say she struck me as one of the sweetest people I met throughout the course of the day!

Next, I headed to West 26th Street where DKNY was having their show. I had arrived fairly early and was walking around aimlessly when I ran into my most favorite model EVER, Cara Delevingne. I remember browsing through ASOS for hours and putting items in my cart just because I secretly wanted the pieces to make me look just as beautiful as her!

The legend Bill Cunningham outside of DKNY, I couldn't believe we were at the same event photographing the same people. Totally starstruck!

DKNY had a wonderfully eclectic crowd...all sorts of age groups and styles. Saw a few entertainment celebrities such as Ashley Greene and Emmy Rossum, as well as industry celebrities (in my opinion) like Joanna Coles, the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, and Donna Karan herself!

By the end of the day I had such Celine bag envy...

After DKNY, it was back to Lincoln Center for another round of street-style stalking!

At the end of the day I ran into Shenae Grimes (Any Degrassi or 90210 fans out there?)

I'll be back at Lincoln Center for a final round of fashion week on Wednesday and I'm so, so excited to experience the craziness all over again!

xx Jacqueline

such great heights

2012-02-12T22:43:00.001-08:00

As often as possible, my friend Anna comes to the city to visit all of us photo kids and it's always a grand weekend when she's in town.

Friday evening, Anna's train arrived in the late evening and we immediately met up with Sandy and Logan for Thai in the East Village. After dinner, we treated ourselves to some Bubble Tea (Sandy made funny faces as we ate the tapioca balls, she isn't a fan of Bubble Tea).

Derek and Kenneth met up with us at the tea shop and we later headed over to Kenneth's apartment. Kenneth showed us his incredible "infinity roof", one side of it is completely lacking a barrier. In theory, you could walk straight off the roof; granted, you'd have to be fairly dim or incredibly intoxicated for that to happen. Nonetheless, I felt pretty brave standing even ten feet from the edge. I'm not the best with heights but the view and rush of it all was worth every drop of the stomach.

After spending some time on the roof we nearly froze to death, so we headed back inside where we all curled up in Kenneth's room and watched the Valentine's Day episode of 30 Rock while eating satisfyingly unhealthy snacks.

The next day Anna was so kind to accompany me to the developing lab at school, she and Sandy guided me during my first experience developing film. It was a nerve-wracking process and I'm sure there will be some mistakes these first few times as I get the hang of developing, but I'm so excited to have it become routine. I'm taking a black and white course this semester and I'm excited to share the results of the course in the near future.

After finishing up in the darkroom, we headed to Sandy's dorm where we met up with Tara and Metin. We made our way down 3rd Ave until it became Bowery. I love the neighborhood around Bowery, with all of its sweet little neighborhood restaurants and cafes.

We made reservations at a restaurant I'd been dying to try for months, B Bar and Grill. Our group of four turned to a group of seven with the addition of Derek, Kenneth, and Lauren!

While looking at our menus, Sandy noticed we were all busying away on our gadgets, cell phones for most of us and in Kenneth's case, his iPad. She made a wonderful suggestion, that we all put our phones into the bread basket and live in the moment. It was too funny not to photograph.

When we got our bills, Kenneth jokingly forged my signature and added a funny little aside.

After B Bar and Grill, Kenneth took us to a cafe on Macdougal Street. They had a policy stating that all customers were required to buy something. I have to say I was quite full, so I was forced into eating some chocolate mousse. But that sentence doesn't sound quite accurate, when is someone ever forced into eating chocolate mousse?

The gang walked back to my dorm where we sat around and talked and drew in journals and listened to music.

To top off the lively evening, Anna and I went on a late night stroll through the East Village with some good friends who live in my dorm. It was extremely cold but nice to walk around and have a second round of Macdougal Street.

In other news, I'll be photographing some street style at Fashion Week tomorrow and Wednesday for my internship, so I hope to make a post regarding those photographs very soon!

P.S. Almost Happy Valentine's Day ! Hope everyone has a splendid holiday with their loves(significant others, family members, or in my case.....cats!) #futurecatlady

xx Jacqueline

Currently listening to: A Dedication by Washed Out

night in williamsburg

2012-02-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

I made my first trek back to Williamsburg since Winter Break this Friday afternoon with my friend Allie. We did a little thrifting and browsing and later went out to dinner with Logan, Sandy, and Maddie on Bedford.

I swear, the more time I spend in Williamsburg, the more I fall in love.

After dinner we met up with Eden, a close friend of my friends Avi and Maddie, at Verb Cafe.

We stayed until closing and the baristas offered us free muffins. Score.

After we left Verb we ended up going to an after party at Two Eighty-Five Kent being DJ'd by NEON INDIAN(for $5, if I might add)!

The sold-out show that had begun earlier was running late so we actually got to see the headliners, Class Actress, perform their set. I was so happy I got to hear my favorite song by them, "The Weekend, which I've been toying around with using for a candid little compilation of videos I've shot recently.

Class Actress!

Neon Indian!!

Myself, by Allie.

P.S. Just saw that this blog reached 100 followers, thank you so much everyone for reading!

xx Jacqueline

a chilly welcome "home"

2012-01-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, New York City welcomed me back "home"with a fresh layer of snow on the ground.

The morning after arriving back in the city I went on a day of adventures with some lovely photo friends (Sandy, Jessie, Shriya, Tara, Dale, and Nika). We met up at Jessie's favorite spot, Cafe Mocha in the East Village. I drank a cup of Vanilla Chai and the caffeine hit me immensely, the hours following were so energetic.

We then strolled around the East Village and spent some time in Tompkins Square Park. I'd never photographed in snow before!

For dinner we stopped in a beautiful little restaurant called Affaire with the most decadent crepes and romantic interior design. I have a feeling we'll be frequenting here often.

This past Friday, I had my first class for the Black & White Film class I'm taking this semester. I'm obsessed with the darkroom already and I can't wait to begin putting together a piece of work. After class I headed over to Sandy's dorm where she and Jessie had made a delicious vegetarian lunch for the three of us.

This was the beautiful lighting outside Sandy's window that Friday afternoon.

After lunch we treated ourselves to some dessert at a cute bakery down the street.

I can't wait to have more Friday Flickr Family lunches and to explore the city much more over this semester!

feature + interview on the(fashion)hash !

2012-01-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

so excited to share this lovely feature + interview on my photographic work on the wonderful fashion blog, the(fashion)hash!

the countdown

2012-01-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

This last month of being home has been incredible, to say the least. In so many ways, I've found reasons to be appreciative of the town and state in which I grew up in and the people I've met because of my location.

Last week I went on a day trip to San Francisco with Sarah and Elliot; the weather was beautiful. This trip was a wonderful way to end my time back home.

Here are a mix of digital + film pictures from our day trip ~

kelsie

2012-01-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

some photographs taken of my friend kelsie at my step-family's ranch in placerville, ca.

some digital, some film.

makeup & hair by the lovely jasmine cardenas

i go back to new york city this saturday, ah i'm not ready to leave nature just yet.

sarahjane

2012-01-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

shot some film & digitals of my friend sarahjane at her house last week

(first three photographs are film, final three are digital)

dusk

2012-01-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

the holidays, 2011

2012-01-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

I may be Jewish (non-practicing, yet culturally) but I still have a penchant for the holiday season and all festivities related to Christmas. Every Christmas Eve we visit the home of our good family friends, The Landrys. Dorothy always makes incredible food, it's like having two Thanksgivings in one year. It's always nice to catch up with their family because I've known them for my entire life and consider Dorothy to be sort of like a second Mom. Also in attendance every year is Julie and Alexa, whose mother is best friends with Dorothy. I actually did a shoot with Julie this past week, I'll be sharing it very soon!

Colby, Dorothy's daughter and one of my oldest friends in the world.

My mother after Christmas Eve dinner. So jealous of her navy velvet dress.

On actual Christmas day it has become a tradition for the past four or so years for my mother and I to go to my mother's boyfriend's family home on their ranch in Placerville. The event is usually incredibly hectic, with anywhere from 10-15 people. It's always been a sort of interesting experience for me because I'm an only child with divorced parents and no first cousins. But, this year was a little different because my mother's boyfriend and his two sons were in India over the holiday and one of the aunt's and her children decided to stay back. Nonetheless, it was still so nice to be out at the ranch, which is the complete polar opposite of New York City.

The night before New Year's Eve I went out to dinner with two of my best friends, Jess and Summer. We drove around after, caught up, snapped a few pictures; I've missed them so much.

For New Year's Eve, one of my best friends, Jane, threw a lovely potluck dinner at her house, an "East Coast New Year's Eve" that started 3 hours earlier. It felt just like old times with everyone getting together.

Here is me and Jess @ Jane's

Afterward a few of us went to a party at a friend's house to celebrate the countdown West Coast Style; saw some old faces and met some new ones. Made my New Years Resolution (I think): to be unafraid to be myself.

I can't believe 2012 is here already....crossing my fingers for a lucky, enjoyable year ahead!

Hope everyone's holidays went well and wishing you all a happy new year!

P.S. Still in an Antlers sort of mood, enjoy this lovely song:

san francisco, my new love affair

2011-12-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

This past year I've started visiting San Francisco quite often; I can't believe it took me all these years to finally appreciate it.

So, the morning after my 13-hour journey from New York City I hopped on a train to SF. I hadn't been to the train station in Sacramento for ages, but I've always thought it was so lovely and old-fashioned. Took a few snaps of Nate and Jess (some digital, some film).

I found it so strange that I had been on the edge of East Coast less than 24 hours earlier and here I was now on edge of the West Coast; two beautiful coastal cities, so very different in vibe/atmosphere.

We spent some time in the Haight...like always; I love visiting all of the vintage and costume shops.

After walking around Haight Ashbury, we drove around and then went back to the hotel.

The floor-to-ceiling windows in our room were beautiful.

The next morning we headed to the Mission District for a little thrifting and exploring.

In the afternoon, we drove to Berkeley and found this incredible flea market.

Our last stop on the trip was Telegraph Avenue, where we found a street fair and wonderful souls who are the epitome of Berkeley.

It was so nice to experience San Francisco and Berkeley more thoroughly than ever before. I hope to travel back again soon...

coming home

2011-12-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I said goodbye to New York City and flew back home to Sacramento.

I've always had a sort of affinity for airports. I love people-watching, wondering why each person has decided to make that day a day for travel, and for what reason they've chosen a certain destination.

Sometimes the destination of the flight is theirs, sometimes it's only a connection to another city, another country. I met people traveling to Antigua, Texas, and of course, Sacramento.

After two four-hour flights and a layover, I was home. My father picked me up at the airport and as soon as I got home I met up with my best friend and neighbor, Jess.

Afterwards, Jess and I took a drive all over town to all our favorite spots in Sacramento. Man, I missed nature.

last days in the city

2011-12-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

Some shots from my last few days in the city before Winter Break ~

The infamous tree at Rockefeller Center

Plataforma Restaurant w/ Dennis, his sister, and his nephew.

Met Jill Hennessy in Washington Square Park! (Crossing Jordan fans?!)

purely accidental

2011-12-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

Loading film into my AE-1 is slightly different than the other film cameras I've worked with before, so I've had quite a few losses when it comes to rolls of film (I'm self-taught).

Two weeks ago, I shot some film during my test shoot w/ Loli and when I went to get the photographs developed I found that the roll hadn't latched onto the sprockets correctly, I assumed the photographs were gone forever.

I reloaded my camera with that same roll of film, assuming it was blank. Strangely enough, it was not.

These are the results that followed...and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the strange contrast within these images.

I think the light leaks may have something to do with my camera needing to be relined, though...any film photographers got an idea as to what the issue is?

lost/expired/experimental film

2011-12-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

I had been carrying around a roll of film in my purse for months, having finished it long before my senior year finished (over 6 months ago).

The roll was long expired, abused, and completely experimental. For some reason a few drugstores had refused to develop it previously because it was 'professional' film, but the CVS down the street from my dorm didn't seem to mind.

While most of the images didn't turn out since this was literally my first roll of film (taken on my Dad's old Konica), these photographs bring back such vivid memories of home and I'm quite happy with the few that did turn out.

nightscape

2011-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Miscellaneous shots of the city from one of my evenings out, taken mostly around Tribeca, Chinatown, Soho, and the East Village.

I'll be flying home to Sacramento this Friday and I realize that these are the sorts of landscapes I'll be missing this next month while I'm away (along with the wonderful people I've gotten to know so far and the freedom of the city in general).

currently listening to this: I Don't Want Love- The Antlers

dreamhouse

2011-12-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

To finish off Anna's visit, a few of us gathered again last Saturday for a night on the town. We hadn't much idea about where we would go until later that night when I remembered my friend had told me of this inspiring art installation in TriBeCa called Dreamhouse. Dreamhouse is completely donation-based ($5 suggested amount) and it's worth every single penny. Dreamhouse is a sound and light environment in a large apartment-sized space on the third story of an unmarked building. It was so incredibly relaxing and thought-provoking. To be honest, though, it is difficult to put the experience into words. I recommend that if you have the chance, that you check it and see for yourself!

xx jacqueline

williamsburg morning

2011-12-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to have my lovely friend, Anna, come visit me and the rest of the flickr gang this weekend in the city. I do quite a bit of random activities around the city on a regular basis, but sometimes it's so much more exciting to have visitors around because it really forces you to take advantage of the activities New York has to offer. And by New York, I mean more than just the island of Manhattan.

The morning after our little Mexican food adventure, Anna and I took the L train to Williamsburg for a little thrift shopping. Sonya joined, too, soon afterwards. I really do love Williamsburg, I'm almost sure I posted a small blurb on Williamsburg when I first visited this past April. The subway ride from Manhattan is just a few short stops away, yet practically an entirely opposite world; the atmosphere is so drastically different.

People in Manhattan are surely nice, for the most part, but in Williamsburg there's much more a "small town" feel. Bedford Street, "the main drag" as you might call it, has such wonderful little shops and cafes. And as you walk towards the side streets there are some great thrift and consignment stores with decent prices and extensive selections of wearable pieces.

One of my most favorite stops in Williamsburg is a store called Junk. It's name describes quite the opposite of the items it carries, at least in my opinion. Junk is filled with all sorts of treasures, from old furniture to vintage costume jewelry to old records and my absolute favorite: miscellaneous photos and film slides. Junk has this huge bin filled with photographs of all sorts of events, moments. You'll stumble upon wedding photographs, school photos, outtakes from photo shoots, pictures of politicians, pictures of people in their college dorms. Junk is a sort of lost & found, and I'm always finding inspiration there.

Junk even has a stash of old magazines, lots of Playboys which are really quite hilarious to look at because you really get a sense of how the magazine has evolved over the years. If you look at the old covers you can really notice how much less sexualized they are compared to those of today.

Along Driggs Ave, I saw this woman and her amazing coat, she was more than happy to have her picture taken.

I couldn't help but fall in love with this pug, too, and his coat was almost as divine as the above woman's. If you look real close you can see the leopard print fur he's sporting!

I really do need to make my way out to Williamsburg more often!

mexican food & wandering

2011-12-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Friday evening, my friend Anna came into town and a few of us decided to grab dinner at a fun restaurant in the Village called Panchitos. Metin, who goes to school with Sandy & I (but commutes) was also in the city for the evening!

I had heard of Panchitos from my roommate, so we decided to check it out. Supposedly a few weeks ago Gossip Girl shot a few scenes for an upcoming episode at the restaurant (confirmed this rumor after seeing various Leighton Meester tagged photos by a few of my NYU friends).

The food wasn't terrible, but it wasn't exactly worth the medium price tag, either.

Nonetheless, the strings of multicolored christmas lights and the rustic atmosphere was certainly the sort of atmosphere that we sought.

After our dinner we went out for Bubble Tea, a staple to any Friday evening. Saint Alp's Tea House did not fail to savor our cravings!

We ended the evening hanging out in my dorm's lobby for a little while.

Here is a photograph Anna took of me after I took the above shot!

thanksgiving in the city

2011-12-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Two weekends ago, I stayed back in the dorms for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Normally, my father and I spend Thanksgiving at my Aunt's house in Southern California. The trip and the meal itself are rituals, but never entirely formal. I didn't realize how much I miss home until this past weekend, and how strange it is to be thrown off such an ongoing routine. A plane ticket back home proved far too expensive for a long weekend and the journey itself would've taken close to 8 or 9 hours each direction. I had some family members and friends who had asked me to come with them for Thanksgiving on the East Coast, but I thought it might be a good idea to stay in the city instead to get ahead of some schoolwork.

While at times it was lonely here for the holiday (most everybody had left for home or family had come to them), it was wonderful to have the dorm room to myself and a sort of weekend-long staycation. I caught up on some reading, some photos, and had time to reflect.

(P.S. I also watched every romantic comedy known to man, so many that I'm considering changing the topic of my term paper in Media Criticism to something to the effect of "the overly romanticized portrayal of serendipitous events in the film industry"...)

The beautiful look of Fall in Washington Square Park (taken on instagram)

Thanksgiving present to myself, delicious fruit-flavored Gelato. (taken on instagram)

One of my accomplishments over the holiday, hung more festive lights above my bed.

The dining halls were closed, therefore I lived off of overpriced fruit and cringed everytime my total was rung up at the cash register.

impromptu test shoot ~

2011-11-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting back into the swing of shooting photographs and I'm beginning to carry my film camera with me more and more.

This shoot was very spur-of-moment, but I really like the results. I'm so inspired to start planning more shoots for the future; I'll be shooting in the city more often when I come back next semester, fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I'm finishing up final projects for my classes and planning quite a few shoots for when I go home to California in a few weeks for winter break!

model: loli @wilhelmina

occupy wall street, 2 month anniversary

2011-11-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

I promise I'm going to be better about posting about my daily bits and pieces..! The semester is winding down and I'm learn how to manage my time more efficiently.

This evening I decided to walk with Occupy as they marched down Sixth Avenue. This is my third or fourth time experiencing a march with Occupy...it's almost become commonplace.

Nonetheless, it's always an exciting adventure; I enjoy listening to people's stories and just being around so much energy. Everyone is passionate about something, not even just the movement necessarily.

I wouldn't say I'm a protester myself, I'm an observer, with my camera as my eyes....

P.S. Just came across this song on my Pandora station, take a listen, it's somewhat relevant to "Occupy Wall Street" and it's got a great beat.

assorted updates

2011-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

I have officially been living in New York City for close to 2 months now. Strangely enough, it feels like home as of the past week or so.

Life here is so incredibly fast-paced and sometimes it's hard just to find time to sit and reflect. I'm enjoying the craziness but I am so appreciative for any and all of the downtime I have.

This Saturday morning I finally have some time to organize and recount some of the last few weeks in pictures + captions.

Protests are plentiful here.

As are rainy days:

And here are some random snapshots ~

My lovely friend Eve has incredibly beautiful eyes

Always interesting street style in Union Square.

First photo assignment for the Washington Square News was to photograph Dylan Sprouse, he was really down-to-earth.

nights in the city

2011-09-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the day is nighttime. Enough said.

Wine & truffles in the village

Myself by Katie

Katie! She was visiting the city to do hair in Fashion Week!

Walking along Bowery.

Good ole Washington Square Park.

Eve in Union Square.

chelsea days

2011-09-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've listened to countless songs raving over the beauty of Chelsea, I finally was able to visit. I actually visited twice in the past week with my wonderful friends (& fellow photo adventurers) Eve and Colin. The Pier reminds me of San Francisco, back in California, also near to where both Eve and Colin are from.

View of New Jersey from The High Line. If you've never been to The High Line, please go, NOW. There's something so beautiful about the contrast between the nature and the indusrial old subway platform.

Eve and her lovely pentax.

Second time around in Chelsea!

Eve & Colin!

Gallery hopping

Amazingly eccentric people in a gallery.

Independent designers waiting outside "Band of Outsiders" Fashion Show

"Band of Outsiders" Fashion Show

On the walk back home

2011-09-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

The world as I know it changes so rapidly here in New York City. Every single day is a new experience, a new obstacle, a new light at the end of the tunnel. The city is a lot to digest and I'm trying to take it all in gradually, trying to savor every part of this experience.

While the first few weeks have been full of ups and downs, I'm starting to see this place as a home. The collective of artists and photographers here is incredibly inspiring, I feel challenged but motivated.

Here are some of the random things I've been up to since I've been over here...

New York City has nature beyond Central Park.

DUMBO near the Brooklyn Bridge. A beautiful, serene spot that my RA took our floor to.

Vegan food in the village, way too beautiful to consume.

Mr. Jesse Eisenberg, a lovely addition to NYU's Welcome Week programs.

Some guys light sabering in Washington Square around midnight, no big deal.

New friends! Mark & one of my roommates, Emily.

Ground Zero Lights, taken on the evening of September 10th around Union Square

Hanging out with some of my lovely Flickr friends, Jessie and Sandy. Singing Regina Spektor songs in Sandy's dorm.

Walking past Alessandra Ambrosio at Fashion Night Out in Soho.

My wonderful dorm neighbors Olivia and Brinley at FNO.

Flickr meetup with Monika Balazy, Sandy Honig, Anna Szczekutowicz, and Jessie!

Monika Balazy

hurricane's a coming

2011-09-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm from California. Hurricanes don't come through California. And I can say even after Hurricane Irene that hurricanes don't come through New York City.

Nonetheless, the "Hurricane" was an interesting "welcome" to New York City. It taught me a few things:

1. Times Square will only be empty when people are forced to leave.

2. New York City is truly the city that never sleeps, and the city where you can order pizza for delivery during a severe hurricane warning.

3. It's fun to pretend the world is ending, wine is the best part to a last supper.

4. Hurricane weather proves for beautiful skies.

AVA Magazine interview + feature!

2011-08-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago, i was lucky enough to be featured in AVA Magazine for its debut issue! one of the wonderful editors, ida fiskaa, had contacted me awhile back saying that she had liked my work and wanted to feature one of my editorials plus an exclusive interview!

you can check out AVA's first issue HERE, my editorial & interview starts on page 34!

new beginnings

2011-08-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have just arrived in New York City to spend the next four years here at NYU.

Move-in day was supposed to take place this Sunday (tomorrow) but was quickly moved to Monday because of Hurricane Irene. Right now I am staying at my mom's best friend's apartment near Times Square, on the 40th floor. We are not in any of the danger zones but the fact that so many people have evacuated the city because of the hurricane makes me a bit frightened. Didn't expect to be dealing with crazy weather this early in the game, but it makes for an interesting adventure!

Here is a shot of me in Sheep Meadow in Central Park yesterday, two days before the expected storm. Weather was beautiful, not indicative of an upcoming hurricane at all!

roam if you want to: part V

2011-08-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Day 6: Manhattan Beach + Pismo Beach

The entire road trip we had been waking up extremely early, so we could take in every moment of the road trip without wasting time. The morning of the sixth day was no exception. We woke up around 7 a.m. to take a walk along the beach which was a short walk down from our motel.

Pictured above is the path we took to the beach.

Impromptu beach yoga.
Favorite breakfast spot of the trip, Uncle Bill's. Wonderful pancakes, especially the pumpkin flavored ones.

After finishing breakfast, it was time for our final destination: Pismo Beach.

We made an immediate stop at the beach.

After the beach, we went to The Rock & Roll Diner, it was in an abandoned train in a fairly deserted area. The milkshakes were undeniably delicious.

This was the view of the water along the pathway near our hotel in Pismo. We all went down to the beach to watch the sunset. We started realizing we were experiencing our "last" everything of the trip. Our "last trip" to the beach.

Our "last sunset" of the trip.

Our "last sandcastle" of the trip.

Our overall "last night" of the trip.

Day 7: The Final Day (Hearst Castle + The Road Home)

As a final attraction, we went to Hearst Castle since a few of us had never seen it.

Driving up to the castle on the shuttle bus. I wish I had brought my wide-angle lens to capture the beauty of the architecture!

Once we finished our tour of the castle, we hit the road back towards Sacramento. The trip was a wonderful adventure for the six of us, we learned so much. We saw so much. We lived so much. I miss these days already.

roam if you want to: part IV

2011-08-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

(continuation of my road trip series)

picture credits: myself, jessica, & nicole

Day 5: Santa Monica & Manhattan Beach

On Monday morning, the group packed up and left my Aunt Ellen's house and headed towards Los Angeles. We drove through Hollywood and along Sunset Blvd, making our way towards one of the most exciting sites of the trip: the famous Santa Monica Pier.

The pier satisfied our expectations, it was the typical California experience. When people speak of California, they are mostly referring to So Cal. All 6 of us are native Californians, Northern Californians that is. If you've ever been to Nor Cal, you'd understand how completely different it is from So Cal, and why truly getting the Southern California experience was important to us.

Adorable, but tortured, puppies on the pier.

Later that evening we drove to Manhattan Beach, where we were staying for the evening.

After settling into our motel, "Sea View Inn" (yes, we did have an ocean view!), we went into the town area and had a delicious dinner at the popular restaurant, Mama D's. After dinner, we took a stroll along the boardwalk, it felt so freeing and made me realize that the road trip was ending soon and I'd soon face the reality of going off to college in a few weeks.

Myself, with the lights of beach towns left behind.

roam if you want to: part III

2011-08-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

(continuation of my road trip series)

picture credits: myself and jessica

Day 4: California Adventure

Walking down the faux Hollywood lot in California Adventure, taken on Jessica's Instax.

(Side note: While waiting in line for California Screamin', I noticed a tall, dark male who looked vaguely familiar. I whispered to Jessica and said, "I've seen that guy somewhere, he is on television, I'm sure of it."

Whenever I'm down in Southern California I think I idealize that I'm bound to see a celebrity, but this time I turned out to be correct!

About two days later, while we were waiting for dinner in Manhattan Beach, I stumbled upon a magazine with that tall, dark, familiar man on the cover. Turns out it was Gilles Marini, most commonly known as the naked guy who Samantha Jones slightly stalks through a window in the Sex & The City Movie. Twitter verified and all, he happened to have been at California Adventure the same day as us!)

Tron "Rave" at California Adventure. So very out of place, so very amazing.

Every night around closing time at California Adventure, the park puts on a beautiful water show called "World of Color" that uses light projection to create what almost looks like, to me, a colorful force field surrounding the manmade pier.

Myself & Jessica after "World Of Color" taken by Janey.

Two full days of Disney takes it out of you. This picture was completely candid.

roam if you want to: part II

2011-08-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

(continuation of my road trip series)

photo credits: jessica, jane, and nicole

Day 3: "The Happiest Place On Earth" a.k.a Disneyland

We woke up early Sunday morning to get to Disneyland at opening time. Upon arrival, Jess asked the Disney photog to take this classic Disneyland shot. An uninvited guest decided he wanted to be captured in our memory as well. Is that not one of the most hilarious photo bombs you have ever seen? (Look at Jane's reaction, third from the left).

Another classic Disneyland shot!

First ride of the day.

You're never too old to take a picture with Tigger, or any other Disney character for that matter. (But we may have been the only kids over the age of 6 that were waiting in line..)

Kristin turning back candidly as we walk around after a delicious meal at The Blue Bayou (the restaurant inside of Pirates Of The Caribbean ride)!

A picture of Jessica and I along Main Street in Disneyland taken with her polaroid SX-70 by Kristin.

Waiting for the nightly fireworks extravaganza.

Kristin, myself, and Nicole resting in a Mad Hatter Tea Cup, nearing a point of absolute exhaustion.

roam if you want to: part 1

2011-08-02T02:08:00.000-07:00

The road trip I took this past week down the California coast held that "pivotal" moment of "feeling grown up" I mentioned in my previous post. A pivotal moment I'd expected would've come during graduation, as it often does for others, came to me through very different circumstances.

I'm independent by nature. Despite being amongst some six close friends, I was very much on my own, much in the way I will be in a few weeks when I move into NYU.

I brought my film camera along but am extremely sad to admit that I did something incorrectly when loading my film and therefore my pictures did not come out. Definitely learned my lesson and I plan to experiment more with film in the coming months.

To follow are quite a few posts detailing a little bit of my travels (through words & pictures)!

P.S. I'd love to hear if any of you went on any road trips this summer or are planning any in the future!

Pictures credits: myself, Jessica, Nicole, and Jane.

Day 1: Sacramento > Anaheim > Newport

We set off around seven on a Friday morning towards Anaheim to stay with my Aunt Ellen. Arriving around 4 p.m. after plenty of pit & food stops, we decided to take advantage of the last few hours of sunlight by visiting Corona Del Mar Beach near Newport.

Later than evening we headed back to my Aunt's house, relaxed in the backyard for awhile. The weather was perfect, just chilly enough for a pullover.

While Jane was taking a shower we may have snuck a shot by the pool on her disposable camera... ;)

Day 2: Huntington Beach

On Saturday we headed over to Huntington Beach for the entire day. I can't get over how beautiful the color of the water was.

Jessica taking a picture of me taking a picture.

My Canon Ae-1 and I.

Saturday evening my aunt & uncle made a wonderful BBQ dinner for the bunch, it felt just like Fourth of July except with friends in addition to family, for the most part I usually have spent the Fourth with my aunt, uncle, and father.

caps, gowns, & insecurities

2011-08-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

(This post is very belated)

Graduating high school always seemed as if it would be a pivotal moment in my life, where I'd suddenly open my eyes and realize "Oh hey, I'm an adult, things should make absolute sense by now."

In reality, graduation had me feeling as if I were having an out of body experience. I wondered to myself whether or not I had gained enough life experience to face the real world.

Maybe those insecurities are the beauty of graduating from high school. Going through the motions of graduation and having the crowd lament how your life is changing drastically forces you to envision a new meaning of growing up.

Maybe after all, I'm a lot more grown up than I expected.

Walking into the auditorium with my partner-in-crime, Jessica.

Receiving my diploma, all the while praying I wouldn't fall flat on my face in front of an audience of 2000.

Posing with my best friends, still can't fathom how much I'm going to miss them next year...

My mother and I, my constant supporter.

Jessica, Mommy, and I.

My mother, myself, and my father. Despite their divorce, I maintain a very close relationship with the both of them equally. I love them with all my being.

One of my aunts, Audrey, flew in for my graduation from Atlanta. Audrey and I have an interesting relationship, we torment each other as if we were sisters. I like to call her a lovely "Southern Belle" ;)

Step-brother Edek, Mommy, Step-dad Ben, Myself, and Step-Brother Nate. Quite the quirky bunch.

Any other Class of 2011 high schoolers out there? How did you feel about graduating?

"animal behavior" zeum magazine issue one

2011-07-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

In late June I traveled to Lake Tahoe to work with the amazing team I had worked with previously on my ACHE magazine editorial. Not only did we all have a wonderful weekend (vacation, in my opinion), we executed an incredible shoot.

This was my very first editorial shot with my new Canon 5d mkii and the results made me fall even more in love with my new piece of equipment. (side note: camera had a hardware issue and is actually currently living at a Canon Service Center, pray for its safe and speedy return, please!)

Zeum Magazine & my editorial can be viewed HERE on pages 65-72.

Below is the editorial as it appears in the magazine as well as a few outtakes and behind the scenes shots!

(individual shots can be seen on my Flickr)

photographer: jacqueline harriet

model: brittany nash @exalt

styling: bailee edgington

hair: linsey steiger

mua: mandie jackson

outtakes:

behind the scenes:

i'm a late bloomer....

2011-07-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

when it comes to film.

i've always wanted to take the time and focus on film...the fact that my 5d broke literally 4 weeks after i spent my life savings on it may be the sign i've always been waiting for. i'm sending my 5d back to canon and praying for a fast repair. but, in the meantime, as i embark on a weeklong road trip my ae-1 will be by my side.

yesterday & today i shot an expired roll of film just to figure out the functions of the camera before i set off on my trip.

here are a few of my favorites :

"dreaming or awake?" ACHE magazine July 2011

2011-07-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Another shoot I did back in May, with another amazing team. Literally moments after we finished hair & makeup at my step family's ranch it started pouring rain. We had originally planned a very hot, summer looking photoshoot but quickly changed the mood to something more soft that mirrored the clouds outside. We shot in my step dad's mom's art shed as well as the bunkhouse, making use of all the natural light on that stormy day!

view it here (pages 26-34)

photographer: jacqueline harriet

model: brittany nash @exalt

styling: bailee edgington

makeup: mandie jackson

hair: linsey steiger

"Sun Spot" INK Magazine Summer 2011

2011-07-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

A few months back, in May, I collaborated on a shoot with a friend of mine, Savannah Lisle. Savannah is an extremely gifted artist who makes beautiful pieces of jewelry and has recently dabbled into the art of creating naturally dyed & hand woven dresses. Together we created a shoot to help showcase her beautiful work, especially her "wings" that are pictured below.

The editorial can be found here on pages 124-127

photographer: jacqueline harriet
model: lauren @exalt
styling/props: savannah lisle
hair/mua: mariya sevchuk

"desert storm"

2011-07-10T03:53:00.000-07:00

photographer: jacqueline harriet

model: jessica @industry

hair: paula peralta

styling: brandon sapin

makeup: paula mauricio

last week while visiting family in southern california, i met up w/ an amazing team to do a photoshoot in trabuco canyon, results below!

southern california traditions

2011-07-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

for the last fourteen years or so, i have made biannual trips with my father down to southern california to visit my family. my family (unlike myself) is accustomed to following routines, traditions.

we wake up when it's still dark, hoping to make good time and hit the grapevine by the lunch hour.

we spend a few days with my grandfather in oceanside, he loves to take us to buffets there. not the beach, but buffets. he is a kid at heart and drinks icees.

at the end of our short visits, grandpa stands in the garage as we make our departure, waving goodbye. this time it feels painful, i don't know when i'll see him next, the reality of moving to the the east coast is hitting me.

our next stop is my aunt ellen & uncle jeff's house in santa ana. for the fourth of july, my uncle always throws a spectacular fireworks show in the backyard that makes the trip feel truly traditional.

this trip that my father and i have been so accustomed to taking now feels sentimental...

xxjacqueline

"stars & stripes" nasty mag's debut issue

2011-06-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

photographer: jacqueline harriet

model: ashlee nichole

check out the full editorial here in nasty mag (pages 77-83)

shades of summertime

2011-06-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

photographer: jacqueline harriet
model: paris @exalt
hair: linsey steiger

waving hello to summertime

2011-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

School finally let out out last Thursday and I am officially a high school graduate!

Thank goodness for the summertime, I am now able to spend weekdays freely without constantly worrying over assignments.

All this freedom means time for summer reading, an upcoming road trip down the California coast, spending time w/ my family and friends before I go off to college in the fall,

.....And of course, the summertime also means much more time for planning and executing photoshoots!

Can't wait to share photo and caption-filled posts very soon!

xx Jacqueline

haunted in the summertime

2011-05-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have been super busy finishing up final little projects for school. I can't believe I graduate high school in three weeks, right as it starts becoming bearable. Nonetheless, I'm beyond excited for summertime. I've got a few editorials I'm trying to plan and a few that will be coming out in a few weeks! My best friends and I are also trying to plan a fun road trip down to Southern California.

This Saturday, my best friend Jessica and I went to the library to pick up some CDs and then took some pictures in the park.

After the park, we met up with my friend, John Hill, an amazing film photographer and did some record shopping at Dimple Records.

Afterwards, John took us to a really cool abandoned outdoor Haunted House.

nyc

2011-04-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

This past week, over my spring break, my mother and I took a trip to New York City so I could sit in on a few classes at New York University before making my final decision. (Spoiler alert: I decided on NYU!)

We stayed with my mother's best friend, Dennis, in his wonderful apartment around the corner from Times Square. His window views are incredible, the city at night is absolutely breathtaking.

The first two days we mainly hung around the general campus area of NYU near Washington Square Park. This was the first time I had seen the "campus" filled with real-life college students (the last time I visited was during the summertime when it had been completely bereft of students).

Here is lil ole me in front of the Washington Square Arch. I was on "Spring" break, yet it was so cold, I dressed as if it were the middle of winter!

(Picture courtesy of my mother, photographer-in-training!)

Near the end of my first day in the city, Tuesday, I met up with the girls of the band Say Chance and their agent Pete! We had a great time shooting around Central Park and I can't wait to share the photos soon!

There was a lapse of a few days or so where I visited NYU classes and traveled around the city without taking too many pictures. But, on Friday, we took the subway to Williamsburg in Brooklyn. There was a Good Friday parade going down Bedford Avenue. Bedford Avenue was lovely, there were a bunch of vintage boutiques and eclectic cafes. I found my Boba Tea that I'd been craving all week!

Finally, on Friday afternoon it was time for my mother and I to head back to the airport. We took our last subway ride of the trip and waved goodbye to our beloved Metro Cards.

I seem to always take a handful of random pictures during the cab ride to the airport.

When we got to the airport, we sat in the airport terminal for three hours before boarding the plane two hours later than we had expected.

Our plane sat on the runway for close to 3 hours before they finally took us back to the gate, there was bad weather in Chicago (where we were going to catch our connection to Sacramento). So....it was back to the city for one more night, I couldn't complain too much.

san francisco

2011-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've recently decided that I will sporadically (maybe eventually routinely) use my blog to update about personal experiences/trips!

Two Saturdays ago, I drove to San Francisco for the day to attend an admitted students reception for NYU. Even though I live in Sacramento, not more than two hours away from SF, I hardly ever make trips to the Bay Area.

My mother and I decided to wake up early that Saturday so we could spend the day shopping and exploring since the reception was in the afternoon. We walked and shopped on Haight Street. As I was walking down Haight, I stumbled upon the Crossroads poster of my winning photo of Janine! This is the 3rd place I've personally seen it so far (Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and now SF!)

After a little success shopping down Haight Street we headed over to Union Square and had lunch before finally attending the NYU reception. I was almost sure I would be attending NYU already but I still wanted to meet other prospective students and hear more about the school. One of the admissions directors there actually remembered reading my application which I found really comforting considering there were over 42k applications to NYU this year! I also made a few new friends and saw an old one!

After the admitted students reception I was dying to visit Berkeley and go to this wonderful vegan restaurant my friends had taken me to before, Herbivore. I'm by no means disciplined enough to be vegan, let alone a vegetarian, but I jump at the chance to try new vegan food when I can.

As we were driving home after Herbviore, the sunset was absolutely stunning.

Then...we took a wrong turn off the freeway and ended up by the Berkeley Marina for just a few moments. I quickly tried to snap a few shots of the gorgeous view of the bay as we headed back towards the freeway.

This concludes my first "personal" post, I hope to do more in the future and to take more pictures to give a greater visual idea of my experiences!

"The Kids Are All Right", INK Magazine Editorial, April 2011

2011-04-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last month I shot a wonderful editorial for INK Magazine's Music Issue.

All 16 of us (me+models+agent+parents+make up artist) met up early on a Saturday morning and drove up to my step family's ranch to shoot for the entire day.

It was the biggest shoot I've ever coordinated and that meant there wasn't a moment to rest! Here is the editorial featured in INK on pages 16-21as well as some outtakes below!

photography: jacqueline harriet
models: lauren, paris, ava, alexander, and adam (@ exalt) + cassidhe and graham from paris' band (noisy canvas)
styling: foxtail, bows and arrows vintage, and fringe
makeup: cesar rivera
assistant & agent extraordinaire: bret cota @exalt

spring awakening

2011-04-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

photographer: jacqueline harriet
model: andrea @exalt
styling: foxtail
makeup: crystal mosher

neon bible

2011-03-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

model: janine

clothing: funkin junkie vintage & janine