There are two huge things happening this weekend:
- The WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) convention is gonna kick off in Vegas.
- Tim Burton’s new movie Alice in Wonderland is opening in theaters.
I have been excited about WPPI for months, but man I can’t believe Tim Burton’s new movie is only one more day away!!! :D
(Image Source: Disney)
I love movies. I mean ALL kinds of movies (except the Horror category for now, because I am a wimp, and those scary scenes and ideas linger in my mind, get much richer in dreams, with sequels and remakes, on and on :p). I still remember seeing “E.T.” in the theater back in Taiwan and being blown-away with the whole cinema experience — sitting in the dark, with a giant screen, the moving images, the sound, the music, the dialogues, the story, the mood, seeing what could only be imagined come alive right before your eyes — it is MAGIC!
Film critic Roger Ebert once mentioned these words in a movie review:
A lot of people these days don’t even go to a movie once. There are alternatives. It doesn’t have to be the movies, but we must somehow dream. If we don’t “go to the movies” in any form, our minds wither and sicken.
WE MUST SOMEHOW DREAM. I love this quote!
To some degree, Lucia and I are living our dreams — this photography venture, our own blog site, connections with industry peers and luminaries, supportive friends and fans, and inquires and referrals that are starting to roll in — these are things that we would not have thought possible just a year ago. It’s as if we have fallen down the rabbit hole and found ourselves in this wonderland (minus the Tim Burton-esque bizarre spookiness). There are so many interesting things to learn and people to meet, and the industry is filled with passionate photography greats who are happy to teach, mentor, and support each other. Nothing seems impossible now! (Except for Jar Jar Binks becoming a Jedi Knight. Oops! Sorry Star War fans for the imagery!) Well, as “Alice” would say: things are getting “curiouser and curiouser!”
When we were kids, Lucia and I often played this game at bedtime: we would pretend to be asleep until the adults were snoring, and then we would start brainstorming for a story — any story! We came up with interesting characters and funny lines, and took turns telling each other the next chapter of our imaginary book until we drifted off to dreamland. Luckily we have retained our playfulness and imagination into adulthood, but too often we notice people who seem to have forgotten the joys of childhood — discovering new things, enjoying the moment, and playing without inhibition.
If you have forgotten how it was like to be a kid, why not go see a movie? Or find a play date and allow yourself to be totally silly and care-free, even just for a couple hours?
Lucia and I also love to play dress up for Halloweens, and recently she was able to convince Henry to join our troupe . As Henry put it, “every once in a while, you gotta let go and enjoy a chance to laugh at yourself.” Hear hear!!! Last year, we dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland.
With the release of Tim Burton’s new movie, I think it’s the perfect time for some of our Halloween pictures to resurface and grace the pages of this blog :)
Me, as Alice:
Lucia’s rendition of the Mad Hatter. She also made Henry’s costume:
And last weekend, Lucia went to the “Happiest Place on Earth” to chase rabbits:
Don’t be late! Get to the theaters and grab a good seat!
Lastly, I would like to end this post with a little piece by Lewis Carroll:
I’d give all the wealth that years have piled,
the slow result of life’s decay,
To be once more a little child
for one bright summer day.
- Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass