Fair love.

Love was in the air at the Fresno Fair last night. We were so privileged to do a little photo session with the wonderful Cori Derksen! She photographed us and I (Ellie) took some shots of Cori's cute little family in return! Check out the rest of Cori's photography here! I got to edit the photos myself and I went for a vintagey Fuji 800z film emulation look. It was so different being on the other side of the camera for once, it gave me good perspective on how the client feels during a session! Lots gained from this shoot I'd say. :) If you've never visited my photography site, have a look!

Comic Corner

Its probably no surprise this choice of post comes from the taller of us two, however in the past month or so I'm proud to announce Ellie has officially joined the nerds. Completing not one but two whole collections of the immensely popular graphic novel, The Unwritten, and shes hooked.

For me, however, comic books and graphic novels have always been a sort of niche cut perfectly to fit my interest in all things beautifully drawn or artfully written. Combining my love of art and story these small books, quickly read and easily digested, offer me the oppurtunity to be inspired by a vast array of artists, story tellers, and even those imaginary heroes with abilities i desperately desire like the boy i never really grew apart from. Stories in the past few years have grown incredibly, passing the age old legend of a man in his tights. Many stories evolving now are much more sophisticated and mature, definitely speaking more to our culture than many of the older hero style comics. Writing has become crisp and impactful rather than an onamatopoeia filled slew of overly simplified moral dilemmas and ancient social commentaries. Art has also taken giant leaps foward in contemporary Graphic novels. Many of my favorite and inspiring artists are filling books with canvas quality pieces one square at a time. Ben Templesmith, Fiona Staples and Peter Gross to name a few. 

So......now that my sermon has come to an end, i am here to offer my top pick. The Manhattan Projects has just finished its first series, and with a mere 6 issues released has already become one of my favorite and anticipated issues month after month. Jonathan Hickman brings the "real" story of secret projects and experiments being developed under the umbrella of the famous Manhattan Projects of the forties, developing the Atom bomb. Einstein, Oppenheimer and many other very eccentric and sometimes terrifying characters are all brought to life by artists Nick Pitarra and Cris Peter. I will admit this release leans more to the male side of the spectrum but ladies feel free to prove me wrong. I hope you all embrace this world i've tried to shed some light on or at least look at the nerds of the world with a little more interest than judgment, because those are my people, so respect. -S

If you're turned off by the idea of comic books, or feel they just don't appeal to you, I recommend you at least give it a try! I probably wouldn't have ventured to the graphic novel section of Barnes and Noble if I wasn't being guided there by Spenser's hand but I am glad it happened. Comic books are totally unique, it's like watching a movie on a page. It always captivates you and pulls you into the story a way a normal book can't. Find a series that fits you and get into it! -E