Bad habits

Can you name your bad habits? Ok... you don't drink, you don't take drugs, you exercise, you don't smoke, you don't curse, you don't eat your fingernails, you don't touch your hair all day long, you don't stop taking showers for 5 days in a row... Are you really so perfect and free of bad habits?
What if your bad habits are related to food, and so hidden by society you don't even notice them?

Bad habits is a Mexican movie released in 2007. It talks about bad habits, but not such as taking drugs, or biting your fingernails. It's more about food.

I realised food in Mexico is a big deal when I was leaving outside. There's a whole food culture here in Mexico, and I'm so happy about it. The problem is that we also give further meanings to food, food consumption, pleasure... well, I think you know where am I going.

Another big issue in Mexican culture is religion, being Catholic religion the most popular one here in Mexico, with lots of big churches, saints, statues, and a whole culture built around it, mixed with cultures of our past to create what Mexico is today.

This movie mixes both, in a strange way. Ok, all the problems are in one family, so all the "bad habits" can be shown and related in some way, let's say it's just an excuse to relate stories, so I don't think it's THAT bad. The interesting thing is that we are not seeing the classical teenager throwing all she had for lunch to be accepted at school, or the big chubby guy with problems who is bullied all the time. Here, the characters are everyday people in Mexico city and the way they see food... well... it represents lots of things.

Here you can see the story of a mother who is obssesed with her weight, an anorexic, in fact, not eating and exercising a lot. You will find the story of her daughter, who is a little girls and a bit chubby and how she hates that, and the eating disorder she is provoking to the little girl. You will find the story of her husband, an architect of a prestigiuos and religious university who ironically loves food and cheats on his wife with someone who also loves food. He is looking for an explanation for the flood of the school he's working. Guess what? realted to food as well. You will also find the story of a nun who's extremely narcisist and has serious food issues that lead her to crazy things and hallucinations.

Food can be seen as a pleasure, a need, a sin, a prize, a monster chasing you, love, nourishment, the most threatening stuff, a punishment, a sex toy, a temptation... well.. everything food is and represents to different people.

Talking about light, I find it really interesting how light and sound are related. Most of the movie is darked and in whispers. It's on the rainy season, so darkness is not a real problem, I think it enhances the feeling of the places, speacially the church and monastery. I have always found those places really creepy and I don't like going inside them as I get goosebumps. In lots of movies, this is not shown, but in this one... well, places are creepy, university is working in daylight and looks so common, the house looks so unpersonal... I think they didn't make a huge effort with the lighting, but they didn't really fake it, so I guess the atmosphere was captured, and it was fantastic how they could match it with the sound levels.

Hope you like it.

Lots of love!

Orquidea

Hungry for your touch

This is a photograph from the great Czech Jan Saudek (one of my favorite photographers) called "Hungry for your touch". I have it as wallpaper in my lap. I took it off when I wen to Sweden, thinking it would be a bit too painful to have this pic when my family and bf were in the other side of the world. Nevertheless, after a while I put it again, as I think it's so beautiful, poetic and inspiring.
Yesterday, back at home since long, I was thinking in the touch, in how much I wanted, needed to be touched and how little we touch people. I'm not talking about being touched as when you are with your bf, but... being touched. I love touching people, and I'm always doing it. I hug a lot, am always bothering my parents and sister, going over them, crushing them, kind of choking them with love, hahaha, but... it's not common.
Sometimes I feel i need to be touched, and I thik people all around the world feel the same from time to time. I'm not talking about hugs and kisses, but a hand in the shoulder, the kiss in the forehead, or just a small touch saying "I care about you".

A big hug,
Orquidea

Ps. Check Jan Saudek's pics, his manage of light and color, and concept... well... he's just amazing.

Disney real

Empiezo esta sección con las princesas de Disney. A pesar de que los cuentos fueron escritos hace mucho, mucho tiempo como recopilaciones de leyendas o historias inspiradas en su vida, por autores como los hermanos Grimm, Perrault, o Hans Christian Andersen, Disney les ha dado vida y tristemente los personajes y cuentos que recordamos son de Disney.

Tranportemos ahora los personajes de caricatura a famosos actores y actrices, agreguemos un poco de Annie Lebowitz y sigamos con la magia de Disney.

Qué tenemos, estas maravillosas fotografías, todavía envueltas en ilusión.

ps. Iluminadores: chequen las fuentes de iluminación. La luz en la fotografía es la mitad de una buena fotografía.

I begin this section with Disney princesses. Even though the stories were written long, long ago, as recopilations of legends or stories inspired in their lives, by authors such as the Grimm Brothers, Perrault, or Hans Christian Andersen, Disney has brought them to life and sadly the characters and stories we remember are Disney's.

Let's transport now the cartoons to famous actors and actresses, put a bit of Annie Lebowitz, and continue with Disney Magic. We have these marvellous photographs, wrapped by illusion.

ps- Lighting desiogners: check out the lighting sources. The light in photography is half of a good photography.

Fotografìa /Photography

Mitad luz, mitad composición, y un poco de magia. Eso es lo que hace buena a una buena fotografía. La cámara ayuda, eso es cierto, y filtros, y colores, pero... eso no le da la magia.

Una fotografía chueca, donde no veas qué sucede, o una con demasiado luz, o muy oscura, tampoco son buenas. Una buena foto debe verse con volúmen, con sombras, con luces, y contar una historia. Entenderla. Cuando uno toma una fotografía, debe decidir. Tomar decisiones, saber qué contar y cómo contarlo.

Siempre hay algo que decir, algo que transmitir y eso es el qué, la historia. No es sólo disparar en automático y dejar que la cámara piense, es poner algo de ti, es elegir, seleccionar, saber cuándo es el momento, cuánto tiempo dejar el obturador abierto, a qué hora la tomas, y cómo eliges tu luz.

Finalmente, cuando esto se ha dominado, hace falta lo más importante, y es poner un poco de uno en cada foto tomada. Es darles esa magia. Es hacer de esa foto, una foto única, porque tu forma de ver la vida es única, y hacerla brillar, aunque sea oscura, hacerla especial, hacerla parte de ti.

Half light, half composition and a bit of magic. That is what makes a good photography, good. Camera helps, that is true, and filters, and colors, but... that doesn't give magic, light nor composition.

A tilted photography, where you cannot what is happening, or a good one with too much light, or too dark, are not good either. A good picture should show the volumes, with shadows, with lights, and tell a story. Understand it. When you take a picture, you should decide. Take decisions, know what to say, and how to say it.

There is always something to say, something to transmit, and that is the what, the story. It is not just shooting in automatic and let the camera think, it's giving something from you, it's choosing, selecting, knowing when is the right moment, how much time to let the aperture open, what time you take it, and how you choose light.

Finally, when this is doen, the most important is missing, and that is to put a bit of you in every picture taken. It is to give it the magic. It is to make that picture, a unique pictures, because your wat of seeing life is unique, and make it shine, even if it is dark, make it special, make it part of yourself.