ice

The locations of today's photoshoot were the roof of my building, a courtyard off Rue du Fort, and Concordia's EV building.

Today's model, Rachel, was one of the people who responded to my call for models. Although I have quite a few shoots lined up, I am still looking for models. Remember, no experience is necessary. If you're interested, please feel free to contact me.

late night/early morning

This morning around 5 am, we were on our way home from a festive night of egg nog punch and Sing Star Kareoke. We needed money for the long cab ride home, but there was nary a bank machine in sight. The ATMs we did find were not working, so we kept walking.

"At this rate, we won't make it home before the sun comes up!" I whined, through chattering teeth.

"Dallas, look around you. It's a beautiful night. It's snowing just a little. We can sleep in until whatever time we want tomorrow. This is a pretty amazing time in our lives, so we should appreciate it. Remember to relax."

I pulled my hood over my head and kept walking into the wind, keeping my face down to avoid the snowflakes that were hitting me in the eyes. I was still feeling prety uptight until I peered from under my hood and saw my tipsy companion stumbling all over the sidewalk trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue.

I was about to warn him about the dangers of polluted snow, when I stopped taking things so seriously. I took a cue from my walking partner, and began to enjoy the simple fun of an early winter snowfall on the long walk home.

first winter walk

I love this time of year as a student. Even though it can be super stressfull, with papers galore coming due and cold/flu season gearing up, it also provides a great excuse to stay in yoga pants all day while working around the house. Once 4:30 hits and dusk falls, early-onset darkness seems like a great excuse to call it a day and go out for a winter walk. Of course, I never leave the house without my camera.

I've recently decided to change photo blogs. I will most likely still link to my rational snaps page for longer photoshoots, but I now have a daily photoblog here.

If you are interested in starting your own daily photoblog, the hosting service I'm currently using, Aminus3, is really great. Not only is the interface really clean and simple, Am3 also has a great community of photoblogs. I started receiving comments on my work from other photographers within days of signing up. If you're looking for feedback, and/or to be inspired by other photographers, check it out.

I have 2 photoshoots with brand new models lined up next week, so stay tuned for lots of photos here, and on my new daily photoblog.

passion versus reason (part 2)

I went to the audition. If I hadn't gone, I would have been sitting at my desk, working on my paper, and wondering what would have happened if I would have gone.

While preparing this morning, I didn't want the guy upstairs to tell me to "SHUT UP!" again, so I grabbed my sheet music and headed up to the rooftop pool in our building. Warming up in a room full of bright morning sunlight, and fabulous acoustics, I felt pretty hopeful about the day ahead.

I hopped on the Metro by 9:30, so that I wouldn't have to wait in line too long at the auditions. Past open calls I have done have had line-ups that stretched city blocks. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the theatre to see only 10 others waiting to sign up. More people arrived eventually, but it was still a very small turnout.

After a while, I made it past the first screening audition, where I sang without accompaniment. The lady told me to loosen up and be sassy. Her instructions made me laugh, and helped me to feel more at ease for the second round. I sang my audition piece for the casting panel, and then "The Sound of Music," upon request (which, thank god, I had been practicing just in case). They seemed to be happy, and handed me some scenes to read over.

I rehearsed the scenes with the first lady who'd seen me. She was incredibly generous with her time, and her direction, which was awesome. After a short while, it was back into the main audition room to present the scenes I had been working on. We ran through them, and it felt so great. They asked me to wait outside the door.

A few minutes later, one of women on the casting panel came and told me they were interested in seeing more of me for the part of Maria. I think I started to hyperventalite at this point.

The catch is, I will have to go through a rigorous audition process that will be the feature of an upcoming reality show called "How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria." Based on the British program of the same name, the show will conduct nation-wide auditions for the lead role of the show. I am truly hesitant to participate in reality tv, but having done well in today's audition, I'm told, may help me through the process.

Now, buzzing with excitement after today, I have to wait a month and a half until those auditions get started. AHHHHH.

passion versus reason

Things would be a lot easier if I were one of those people who, from the moment I was born, had one passion. I wish that my love of Lego had led me to be an architect, or that my love of making mud pies had led me to a career as a pastry chef. I am so baffled and in awe of people whose lives seem to follow that kind of path. The math nerds who become accountants, the athletes who become, well, athletes. Those who love something (one thing), who can't see themselves doing anything else, have a path to follow. They know what they love, what they are naturally good at, and what they can't imagine themselves not doing. What is that for you?

For me? I don't have one thing. I enjoy school (I better damn well enjoy school seeing as I'm in the equivalent of grade 19), but I also desperately love music and performance. I have a lot of hobbies, which--as my family and former roommates can testify--results in having a lot of stuff. I love my hobbies and stuff so much that I am literally and figuratively buried by them.

My room is piled with makeup, clothes, photography equipment, sheet music, musical instruments, books, and art supplies. My brain is so full of ideas and things that I just have to try, just have to learn, just have to do, that my day-to-day brain functions are cluttered. It is hard to operate this way. I can't do school readings without stopping to jot down song lyrics. I can't work on a paper without stopping to look up fancy cameras online. It's a pretty ridiculous way to operate, really.

The very idea that I am doing a masters of anything is almost laughable considering my lifelong inability to focus on any one thing.

Just today I found an ad in the paper for open auditions for an upcoming Mirvish production of The Sound of Music. I fit the description of the casting call exactly. I ripped out the notice, rented the movie and began to prepare for the audition before stopping to remind myself, "You know, you're still a full-time student for the next 8 months or so. You will lose your scholarship if you don't finish your degree in two years. Also, you live in Montreal while the production is in Toronto."

Oh right. That.

My passionate instincts are constantly at war with the more reasonable, nerd parts of my brain. Now you see why my blog has the name it does.

Also, while I was doing vocal warm ups to begin to rehearse my audition song, my earnest singing was brought to an abrupt halt when I heard the guy who lives above me yell, "SHUT UP!" at the top of his lungs. I felt like the princess in the new Disney film, Enchanted, whose innocent singing is greeted only by scorn from hardened New Yorkers. Ouch.

Has my polyamorous nature set me up for a fate where I try to do everything and end up doing nothing? If I continue trying to be a jack of so many trades, will I ever finish my master's?

I am looking for the help of anyone who is interested in doing some modeling. Any gender, race, age, sense of style is welcome and no experience is necessary. I am looking to do some portfolio shots, while I prepare to launch my first portfolio website.

The theme of each shoot will be decided by a conversation between myself and each model, and by the model's own personality, preferences and passions.

Although I primarily do individual portraits, right now I am especially interested in doing pictures of couples, dancers, and athletes and anyone participates in activities of their cultural heritage (First Nations, Irish, Indian etc).

All models will receive a cd of all the best images from the shoot.

If you are interested in helping me out and live in Montreal, Toronto, Halton Region or the Owen Sound area, please contact me at dallas.curow@gmail.com. Also, if you have a family member or friend who you think might be interested, please encourage them contact me.

on another note

Tired of the same old look? Wish you had the makeup and hair skills to switch things up a little bit?

Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of instructional hair and makeup videos. I have recently learned how to create gorgeous curls with a a flat iron, and how to do the burlesque makeup look. Thank you YouTube.

Here's a good flat iron curls video:

Or, if you have a curling iron, here's how to create "a sexy, beachy, supermodel wave look.":


Here is one that demonstrates how to do a smokey eye.


I could post thousands of these videos, but if you're interested, explore the related videos to these ones on YouTube. A lot of them are for makeup and hair beginners, but there are some more advanced ones as well. Enjoy.

this is what a nerd looks like

With a "work" schedule that usually consists of reading, typing, class and yoga, I don't usually have much occasion to dress up during the day. This weekend, participating in my first professional academic conference afforded me such an occasion.

It was cool to be immersed in an academic environment, to get away from my own studies and hear other people talk about their research. It was also a lot of fun to have drinks and celebrate with other folks involved in the conference, especially Chris, who got me involved in the first place.

The conference arrived at a weird time for me, just a few weeks after I had decided to take some time off from school. Instead of applying to do a PhD (which I very well may end up doing eventually) I have decided to step off the academic ladder for a while and see where I end up.

I've applied for a government job. I would also like to work at a bookstore, or a makeup store, or certainly at any kind of journalistic outlet that will take me. I hate thinking and planning this far in advance, but since my thesis has a deadline (August) and my home has an expiry date (lease ends in July) I suppose the time is arriving to think about the future. Just as the tick-tocking crocodile haunted Captain Hook, so do the ticking of time and the necessity of decision-making haunt me with each passing day.

The best way I can explain my decision to take a break is to use yet another cheesy time metaphor. My hourglass of intellectual inspiration is threatening to run out by the time I finish my MA. I need some time to recharge myself in public life, so that I will be able to flip it over again and get the school-related parts of my brain flowing again.

me and my metro pass

I finally got my act together and shelled out the 35 bucks it costs for a Montreal Metro youth pass. Yes, under the laws of this city, I am still a youth, and am thus in a position to qualify for such an incredible deal. I honestly can't think why I waited so long to take advantage of the wonders of the metro pass; having one has opened up countless new horizons to me.

Today, for example, I began my photo excursion in China Town, moved into Old Montreal and the Old Port, then hopped back on the metro and went to the Jean Talon market for lunch. After grabbing some food, I grabbed the metro again, and made my way back downtown. Amazing, and eco friendly. Photos from today:

Chocolat

I'm not sure who was the mastermind behind having a chocolate lover's convention in Montreal, but if I ever meet the genius, I will kiss his or her feet.

I spent last Saturday living the dream: tasting, licking, crunching and drinking chocolate in dozens of forms. I drank chocolate tea. I sipped rose petal wine with a chocolate accompianiment. I dipped fruit in chocolate. I ate chocolate pretzels. I tried an array of chocolate chips from across the globe. I tasted maple and white chocolate chips. I admired sculptures made of chocolate, and then after the dizzying sugar rush faded to a zombie-esque low, I went home and fell into a deep chocolate coma.

It was one of the best days of my life. That is all.