Day 71

71/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Life is going really well right now, but my grasp on things is tenuous at best. I feel like something important could slip through the cracks at any moment, and I'm afraid I won't catch it before it falls. 

Day 70

70/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Yesterday I had the most visits to this site so far! Woohoo! It got me thinking, so I busted out my calculator today and did some statistical analysis. Totally kidding, I did it all in my head. So far, I'm pretty excited with how this blog is working out. For the number break downs (and how much money I've made on this thing so far) click on through. 

Day 69

69/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

We hit a landmark today (hey-OH!). This picture will eventually be part of the poetry series I've been working on...

Day 68

68/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Today I visited the J. Paul Getty Museum. It is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places I have been to, and I saw an exhibit that profoundly effected me. 

Day 67

67/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I've wanted to do some figure studies for a long time, and I finally got the chance to today. 

Day 66

66/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

So after some TLC down at samy's camera, I finally got my film back scanned and developed. This shot was done on medium format film, shot with a toy camera called a holga that urban outfitters has made all too popular. I can't even be bitter though, because I love these pictures. 

Day 65

65/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I feel like I've been hunting for my pictures lately, and I have been getting very, very lucky. 

Day 64

64/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Today was another "thank god I have my camera on me" day. I got lucky enough to meet an interesting guy named Paul.

Day 63

63/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I was running around all over the place today. One of the things I had to do was take some pictures at the library for work. Some of you may know this already, but I'm the photo editor at UCSB's newspaper, the Daily Nexus. I got the job at the end of spring quarter, so I haven't been doing it for very long, but so far it's been really fun so far. I snagged this one while I was "on assignment", and I dug it. Totally not right for the story I was shooting for, but great for this project.

Day 62

62/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Sundays are saving my sanity lately. Somehow, it is my most relaxing and my most productive day of the week.

Day 61

61/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

So today Rita and I were headed down to Camarillo to hang out with her family, and the traffic on the 101 was TERRIBLE. 

Day 60

60/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I ventured out into IV with my camera on a Friday night and it was kind of a weird experience.  When you  actually pay attention, you see some weird stuff in IV. This shoe was just hanging out alone on a sidewalk, abandoned by it's previous owner. I thought about waiting around for Cinderella to come hobbling back, most likely disheveled and inebriated, but alas I had places to go to and people to see, so I just snapped a picture and went on my merry way.

Day 59

59/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Have you ever been so hungry that it consumes you to the point where you can barely function? So hungry that nothing sounds appetizing and you just need to eat something? That's where I'm at right now. The midnight munchies have been killing me lately!

Day 58

58/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Day 58 is my roommate JT. 

Day 57

57/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Today was boring but necessary. 

Day 56

56/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Why did I take this photo? I could tell you a lot of things. 

Day 55

55/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Sundays are becoming more and more valuable. Today was a very laid-back but still incredibly productive day, and I think this picture kind of captures that. 

Day 54

54/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

We went downtown for dinner at Blush tonight, and it was nice. The lighting was TERRIBLE, so that part was frustrating, but I had lobster mac 'n' cheese which was awesome. Penne pasta, three cheese sauce, pancetta, herbs, and chunks of lobster and they baked the whole thing. It was absolutely delectable. 

Day 53

53/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I was not ready for summer school in any way. It's taking it's toll. I'm becoming a recluse, and my desk/room/house/car are all a mess. Thankfully, life is good right now, I just need to get organized! Going outside would be nice too... 

Day 52

52/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

This photo is cheesy, and I'll admit it. But I've wanted to paint with light for a while, and it was really fun to take, so who cares. 

Top Picks!

As I get closer and closer to the two month mark, I'm realizing that some of my favorite photos are moseying into obscurity. Some of my favorite pictures were taken in the first few days of this project, and I realize that come day 300, they will probably be buried so deep that only a few extremely curious folks will have seen them. To try and keep my prized pictures alive, I've compiled a list of my top picks that I'll update pretty consistently. The link will be in the top right corner of the site, called "Aaron's favorites", or you can just click here!

Day 51

51/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

This is the first and only pair of shoes that I  have ever loved, they have character. Right now they only come out on special occasions, and pretty soon I'm going to have to retire them, which bums me out. A haiku to my shoes and a set-up shot after the jump...

Day 50

50/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I haven't been feeling too hot lately, so my days have been a combination of homework/sleeping. I did have time to feed (pun intended) my latest addiction though. I constantly crave korean barbecue, specifically from this place called kosilicious (worst name ever, but great food) in IV. The house sauce in the bottom right corner is to die for. 

Day 49

49/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Everyday I go to class, I pass by this tree, and I find it calming. Trees can be like the ocean in that way. It was here long before I came about, and it will be there long after I'm gone. It lends a sense of permanence to an impermanent existence, and I find that beautiful.

Day 48

48/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

After a week of pictures that I'm proud of, I'm taking a lazy Sunday to relax and get some school work done. This isn't a bad place to do it, either.

Day 47

47/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

My light, color, and  gesture tributes are done, but I can't help to think Jay Maisel forgot something very crucial that can make a photo great: spectacle. 

Day 46

46/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Day 45 was light. Day 44 was gesture. Today completes my mini-homage to Jay Maisel with a very colorful photo. 

Day 45

45/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Light, gesture, and color. Yesterday (Day 44), we had gesture. Today, we have light. The explanation, along with a set-up shot, is after the jump.

Day 44

44/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Jay Maisel says a good photograph needs either light, color, or gesture. A great photograph has all three. I love this idea, so I'm going to try and take a picture accentuating each aspect. Today's picture is of my friends Katie and Dustin, and hopefully it's apparent that I started with gesture.

Day 43

43/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Chase Jarvis once said "The best camera is the one you have on you."

Day 42

42/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I started summer school today, and between crashing classes and going to the ones I already had, it was a long hectic day.

Day 41

41/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

This is my friend Rachel, and she is a goober. 

Day 40

40/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

I celebrated my return to IV a little too hard last night and woke up with a wicked hangover.

Day 39

39/365, originally uploaded by Aaron LaRue.

Things have been CRAZY lately! I spent day 39 working on the seemingly endless project of moving into my place in IV. I finally got settled, and am ready just in time for summer school. This is my corner of the room with my bed (which is never made and has my backpack with all my photo gear on it) and all most posters/cameras/pictures on the wall. I'm super stoked to be back, and actually kind of excited for school. I'm just hoping this project won't suffer as a result...