Vending Machine

Some time ago, I traveled through knarled streets to arrive at the Delaware College of Art and Design. I had heard they pay good money if you are willing to sit still and let people draw you for a few hours.

That is a lie.

I was modeling my face. I was supposed to be giving a slight, Mona Lisa-like smile and based on the drawings and the teacher's comments, I failed miserably and looked very deep in thought, with my brow crunched.

Before the class occurred, I sat in a break room with some vending machines. I had no need of the machines because I had brought my own food. But a guy about my age with fingernails well-manicured and painted a shade of dusty purple strolled in and noticed a bag of chips hanging by a thread inside one of them. It looked as if someone had paid for it and it had not fallen out properly. We discussed it briefly and I, with visions of the one character on NCIS who fennegles snacks out of vending machines for free all of the time, promptly approached the machine and kicked the glass, hard, with my knee.

BAD BAD BAD.

I was on the floor in no time. The machine had not moved, nor the bag of chips.

Moral of story, some of the things you see on TV are not true. Or maybe, only government vending machines are worth fennegling. OR, think before you act.

Last night I attended a photography competition hosted by the CCCC - the Chester County Camera Club. I joined because I wanted to be pushed to use my camera more, and I wanted to be critiqued as well - to have a chance to grow outside of school.

I did not enter in this first competition but I did do the assignment and was able to compare my photos to the others. I felt I was middle ground in clarity and lens usage and technicalities, and very good in composition and post-processing.

I should have entered, but now I understand how things go.

The judge provided excellent critique. He had obvious preferences but gave food for thought.

I liked him because he took time to examine and critique as many photos as he could, even though it got tedious.

And it got tedious.

Oh, there are MORE photos?

But I think he helped a lot of people grow whose photos may not have been commented on by another judge.

I don't feel quite at home. I'm some REALLY young blood. But I will persevere. I will make friends, I will submit photographs, and I will attend these things so that I can achieve my goal of becoming a better photographer.